Belagavi: The state of Karnataka has initiated discussions regarding the division of Belagavi, its largest district in terms of geographical area. Covering around 13,400 square kilometers, Belagavi spans two Lok Sabha constituencies and a portion of a third one, as well as 18 assembly segments.
Satish Jarkiholi, the PWD minister and in-charge of Belagavi, has mentioned that the notion of splitting Belagavi into three separate districts – Gokak, Chikkodi, and Belagavi – was brought up during a recent meeting between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and MLAs from North Karnataka. The government is giving serious consideration to this idea. However, Jarkiholi emphasized that there is no fixed timeline for the division and the government has not yet determined the procedure for executing this plan.
Belagavi district is home to 8.4% of the state’s population, which is around 6.4 crore. With 18 MLAs, Belagavi also contributes 8% to the total strength of the state assembly, which consists of 224 legislators.
During his initial visit to the district as minister, Satish Jarkiholi, a prominent figure from the Gokak-based Jarkiholi clan, hinted that the current government is interested in splitting Belagavi.
The call to divide the district was initially proposed in 1997 but was never put into action, mainly due to political considerations.
When the Vijayanagara district was established as the 31st district of Karnataka during the previous BJP-led government, Congress, then in opposition, launched a campaign led by Jarkiholi. They demanded either the division or trifurcation of Belagavi.
The Congress party’s demand gained significant support due to the considerable size of Belagavi. The district currently encompasses 18 assembly seats, 14 taluks, and 506-gram panchayats, encompassing 1,380 villages.
Belagavi covers two Lok Sabha constituencies – Belagavi and Chikodi – and also includes a part of the Uttara Kannada parliamentary seat.
