Karnataka power tussle spirals into cooperative sector

Bengaluru: The tussle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar over the chief minister post has spilled over into the politically influential cooperative sector with the two camps eyeing two key positions — president of Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank and chairman of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). Elections to both posts have been delayed due to political and procedural reasons. Shivakumar is backing his nephew S Ravi, an MLC, for the apex bank post and his brother DK Suresh for the KMF chairman's position, while Siddaramaiah is supporting former cooperation minister KN Rajanna and Koppal MLA Raghavendra Hitnal.
The lack of consensus has led to the apex bank election — originally scheduled for Jan 29 — being postponed indefinitely, while the KMF election is likely to be held on March 6. A section of Congress legislators is urging Siddaramaiah to hold polls quickly. "It is unfortunate people are indulging in politics in the cooperative sector, which is meant for the welfare of people in rural areas," said Rajendra Rajanna, Congress MLC and Rajanna's son. "With Congress enjoying a huge majority, we have a clear chance of winning the apex bank election, but it has been stalled for political reasons. Invisible hands are at play." Sources say AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala, who oversees Karnataka, is not in favour of Rajanna because the former minister had criticised Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi over the ‘vote chori' campaign. That assertion had also cost him his place in the cabinet in Aug last year. Rajanna is trying to make his way back through the apex bank president's post, which he held between 2001 and 2005. However, with the high command refusing to budge, Siddaramaiah is said to have got the election postponed. The apex bank board comprises presidents of 21 district cooperative central banks (DCCBs), who elect the president. Congress has 18 directors, while BJP and JD(S) have two and one respectively, with the election to the Kolar-Chikkaballapur DCCB still pending. "It is a great opportunity to serve rural masses, so the election must be held without further delay," said Ravi. The cooperative sector is politically significant in Karnataka, with a cumulative membership of about two crore. More than 5,000 primary agricultural credit cooperative societies (PACS) operate under DCCBs, providing loans worth about Rs 25,000 crore annually to rural borrowers. Several politicians, including the Jarkiholi brothers, Katti brothers, GT Deve Gowda and Lakshmi Hebbalkar, built their influence through the cooperative network. KMF, another powerful cooperative body, has about 25 lakh milk producers registered across 16 milk unions. "I am not hankering for the KMF chairman post. It is up to party brass and the govt to decide on it. I will abide by their decision," said Suresh. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and quotes !