Belagavi (Karnataka), Oct 30 (IANS) Former Minister and BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi stated on Monday that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will soon lose power. "Everything will change in one night. Shivakumar will become a former minister in the backdrop of setbacks in the high court," he said.

He also underlined that the Congress government in Karnataka will collapse on the lines of coalition government in Maharashtra state.

Addressing the reporters at Belagavi, Ramesh Jarkiholi, one of the prominent leaders of BJP who played an important role in the fall of JD(S)-Congress coalition government, maintained that operation lotus is not possible in the state. However, If things go in the way of Maharashtra, the government will change in Karnataka as well, he underlined.

Attacking Shivakumar, Jarkiholi stated, the Congress government will collapse because of Shivakumar. “When in opposition, he will hold the feet and while in power he shows off. The Congress government in Karnataka will collapse in the same way it happened in Maharashtra,” he reiterated.

Continuing his charges, Jarkiholi stated, Shivakumar is not a big man. “He blackmails everyone by keeping the CDs. Shivakumar has always been a 'fraudster' and does not have capacity to fight. 20 days ago, Shivakumar had blackmailed an MLA with a CD. He had threatened the MLA that he would initiate the SIT probe against me. I request that my case should be handed over to the CBI. I don’t care if many more CDs come out on me,” Jarkiholi stated.

“Shivakumar is propagating that I am indulged in Operation Lotus. In 2019 in an inevitable situation, Operation Lotus was carried out. It was done because of dictatorship and arrogance of D.K. Shivakumar. It was done due to Mallikarjun Kharge or Siddaramaiah then. The charges of Operation Lotus are made as they are not able to deliver on guarantees. Let him release the evidence in this regard,” he stated.

“He (Shivakumar) is maligning my party (BJP) and I am speaking out in this background. I had met former CM Jagadish Shettar. He will take an appropriate decision at a suitable time. I will not join the Congress party at any cost,” Ramesh Jarkiholi stated.