Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jan 22: Efforts are on in a section of the Congress party to bring Satish Jarkiholi back in the Siddaramaiah cabinet, sources said.

Satish Jarkiholi, former minister of small scale industries, had been dropped from the ministry in June 2016 during the cabinet reshuffle.

After being sacked, there were reports that Jarkiholi was interested in joining the JD(S), but delayed the decision as his brother Ramesh Jarkiholi was inducted in the cabinet.

Sources said in order to strengthen the Congress in Belagavi, pressure is being put on the Congress high command by former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chauhan.

Sources also said that Chauhan has already held talks with chief minister Siddarmaiah and KPCC president Dr G Parameshwara in this regard.

It is learnt that as Satish Jarkiholi had shown interest in switching loyalty to the JD(S) and was said to be in touch with JD(S) leaders, efforts are on to make him stay in the Congress by bringing him back into the cabinet.

But giving him a ministerial post would mean that two brothers would end up holding portfolios in the government which would not augur well for the Congress. Sources said that Siddarmaiah may be contemplating on replacing Ramesh Jarkiholi with his brother. It is also rumoured that if Satish Jarkiholi were to be brought back into the ministry, he may be given the portfolio of social welfare.