[8][9][10] Ramesh Jarkiholi was first elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1999 by beating Naik Chandrashekhar Sadashiva of the Janata Dal (United) by over 55,000 votes.

In the 2008 Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections he beat the Janata Dal candidate Ashok Ningayya Pujari by over 7,000 votes.

[13] He was one of the 15 MLAs from Congress and 2 from JD(S) who resigned in July 2019, bringing down the HDK Congress-JD(S) coalition and allowing BSY to return to power.

[14] After Supreme Court ruling held up their disqualification but allowed them to run, Jarkiholi joined BJP along with all other rebels inducted by Sri B.S.

[15] He then handily defeated his challengers in bypolls in December, beating his nearest rival, his brother Lakhan contesting as a Congress candidate, by almost 30,000 votes.

[18] Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the sex scandal allegedly involving Ramesh Jarkiholi.