A political panel spearheaded by Congress MLA Laxman Savadi has achieved a clean sweep in the recent elections for the Krishna Cooperative Sugar Factory in Athani. This victory sees Savadi’s faction securing all 14 director seats, triumphing over the candidates backed by rival BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi.
While neither Mr. Savadi nor Mr. Jarkiholi directly participated as candidates, both political heavyweights engaged in vigorous campaigns, rallying support for their respective loyalists who were vying for positions. The election results, declared on Sunday after extensive polling and counting, confirmed a resounding win for Savadi’s team. One director was elected unopposed, with the remaining thirteen seats decided through the electoral process.
The influential Savadi family has maintained a strong hold over the management of the Athani-based factory for nearly three decades, underlining the significance of this latest electoral win. The run-up to these cooperative body elections was marked by an intensely competitive and often fiery campaign.
Ramesh Jarkiholi had notably put forward his own supporters, including former MLAs Mahesh Kumthalli and Shahajahan Dongargaon, alongside Congress leader Gajanan Mangsuli, to challenge Savadi’s loyalists. Jarkiholi openly declared his intention to dislodge the Savadi family, whom he accused of “holding power for too long.”
The campaign even saw Ramesh Jarkiholi resorting to strong language, using an abusive expletive to refer to Laxman Savadi in one of his speeches. Furthermore, Jarkiholi publicly contested the results of the BDCC Bank elections, where Mr. Savadi had also been elected as a director. Tensions remained high, with heated exchanges reportedly occurring between members of the two competing groups even on the day of polling.