Congress nominee and Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s daughter Priyanka Jarkiholi has won from Chikkodi, defeating incumbent MP and BJP leader Annasaheb Jolle.
Priyanka Jarkiholi from Chikkodi became the youngest tribal woman to enter Parliament from an unreserved seat in Karnataka since Independence. In fact, the BJP has won all the seats in Mumbai Karnataka, except Chikkodi.
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Priyanka Jarkiholi also has a few firsts. She became the first woman from the tribal community to win from an unreserved seat in Karnataka. She also became the second leader from a reserved community to win from a general seat, after Kotturu Hariharappa Ranganath who was a Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga during 1984-89.
Priyanka Jarkiholi will also be among the youngest persons to ever go to Parliament. She is aged 27 years, 1 month, 18 days old as of June 4. The minimum age for contesting Parliament polls is 25 years.
Sagar Khandre, another victorious Congress nominee from Bidar, is even younger. He is aged 26 years, 5 months, 24 days.
Chikkodi constituency has sprung surprises in the past too. Ratnamala Pol Savanur, a law college professor, defeated MP and Union Minister B Shankaranand in 1996. Ms. Savanur was a Janata Party nominee, but she was not renominated in 1998. Ramesh Jigajinagi won the next three elections, from three parties, Janata Dal, Lok Shakti and BJP.
In an interview to The Hindu in April, Priyanka Jarkiholi advocated for higher participation of women in public life. “There is a need for more and more women in politics to ensure that government acts like passing laws and implementing schemes and programmes. But then we have to prove ourselves by our work,” she said.
On Tuesday, she said that she will dedicate her victory to the people of the Lok Sabha. “This was possible only because of the hard work of party workers, leaders and the support of all the voters. Party leaders and MLAs worked for me as if it was their own election. The Congress welfare schemes and my father’s image helped me,” she said.
