Dharmendra Pradhan tells leaders that the party is looking at a higher poll tally in Belagavi this time

Union Minister holds meetings to sort out differences among BJP leaders in the district unit; he also meets one-on-one leaders from three North Karnataka districts

Union Minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan held a few meetings with party leaders and workers in Belagavi on Sunday night.

Party sources say that this was to try and address the growing factionalism within the district unit. This was the party’s attempt at ending differences between members of the Jarkiholi and Savadi groups, they say.

Invitations had been sent from Mr. Pradhan’s office to select leaders from the three North Karnataka districts. They were allowed to have a one-on-one meeting with the Union Minister on Sunday.

The sources say that some leaders complained to the Minister against Ramesh Jarkiholi and his followers interfering in party affairs in Assembly constituencies outside Gokak.

It is believed that the district BJP is split among the camps led by the Gokak MLA and former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, the former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi and others.

As many as 13 of the 18 MLAs in Belagavi district belong to the BJP. Some of them are said to owe allegiance to the two camps and others are said to be neutral.

The Ramesh Jarkiholi camp includes Srimant Patil and Mahesh Kumthalli who defected to the BJP along with him, his younger brother Balachandra Jarkiholi and others.