8 months ago
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Hukkeri Rural Electric Co-operative Society Limited (HREC), the lone cooperative powerfulness proviso institution successful the State, goes to the polls connected Sunday.
The Jarkiholis and Kattis, 2 of the families with important clout, are warring it retired for the power of the bureau that is tasked with powerfulness infrastructure erection, powerfulness proviso and tariff postulation successful Hukkeri taluk.
Hubballi Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM), which handles specified works successful North Karnataka, does not person jurisdiction implicit Hukkeri taluk.
HREC is India’s archetypal electrical co-operative nine established successful 1969. It was acceptable up nether the Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act 1959. It was founded by a squad of section co-operative leaders, led by Appannagouda Patil, who were influenced by Gandhian ideals of self-reliance.
For implicit 40 years, it has been led by members of the Katti family. Vishwanath Katti, begetter of erstwhile Minister precocious Umesh Katti for respective years, headed it for a agelong time.
After his death, Umesh Katti became the chairman. In the caller years, a sheet owing allegiance to the Katti household is managing its affairs.
However, governmental equations changed aft the Lok Sabha elections of 2024. The erstwhile MP and BJP person Anna Saheb Jolle blamed his decision for what helium thought was the deficiency of practice from the members of the Katti household who pb the BJP successful Hukkeri.
On the different hand, the abrupt decease of Umesh Katti successful 2022 led to the perceived loosening of the grip of the Katti household connected the taluk.
The nine constricted to Hukkeri, connected the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, has 90,000 members oregon beneficiaries, of whom 61,000 are voters. They volition queue up to elite 15 members of the committee of directors, who, successful turn, volition elite a president and a vice-chairman later.
As galore arsenic 9 of the members volition beryllium from the wide category, 2 women, 2 SCs, STs and 2 OBCs.
Interestingly, these elections are being fought extracurricular enactment limits. Mr. Jolle is warring against his BJP compatriot Ramesh Katti and his nephew and BJP MLA Nikhil Katti.
Joining Mr. Jolle successful this run are the Jarkiholi brothers who see his chap enactment brethren Ramesh Jarkiholi and Balachandra Jarkiholi and Congress person and Minister Satish Jarkiholi.
The run has heated up with Satish Jarkiholi accusing Ramesh Katti of large-scale irregularities successful the nine and Ramesh Katti alleging that the Jarkiholi brothers are encroaching upon onshore of the mediocre and marginalised, done instilling fearfulness oregon handing retired favours.
Ramesh Katti has named Jarkiholis arsenic outsiders who are coming successful to get clasp of the society. Satish Jarkiholi past responded saying that they are the zamindars of Jarkiholi colony successful Hukkeri taluk who migrated to Gokak. The Jolle-Jarkiholi radical has named their sheet aft laminitis Appannagouda Patil arsenic if to nonstop a connection that the Katti household wrested power of the nine from the founding family.
What is more, Mr. Patil’s grandson gave speeches supporting the Jolle-Jarkiholi group.
The Jarkiholi brothers person besides denied allegations of their anti-Lingayat bias. Balachandra Jarkiholi has assured that nary 1 from the Jarkiholi household volition aspire to beryllium president and vice-chairman of the nine and that the 2 posts volition beryllium filled by Lingayats.
MLC Lakhan Jarkiholi maintains that they person ever supported the Lingayat- Jain and Brahmin traders and officials successful and astir Gokak.
Satish Jarkiholi points to the beingness of Anna Saheb Jolle, a Lingayat leader, successful his panel.
Satish Jarkiholi’s lad Rahul Jarkiholi has been touring villages for campaigning successful favour of his father’s team. But the Minister has neither confirmed his candidature successful the nine nor has denied it.
Polling connected Sunday volition beryllium connected ballot papers. Two polling booths person been acceptable up. Results volition beryllium declared 2 days later.
