Karnataka Apex Bank polls set for September 10 after leadership tussle
Elections for Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank's top posts are scheduled for September 10, following a power struggle within the Congress.
The Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank will finally hold elections for the posts of president and vice-president on September 10, with the official notification issued on Thursday. The election had been mired in a political standoff between factions loyal to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Congress MLA and former minister K.N. Rajanna, backed by Mr. Siddaramaiah, and MLC S. Ravi, supported by Mr. Shivakumar, have emerged as the principal contenders. However, party insiders indicate that the Chief Minister is reluctant to see a relative enter the fray, as Mr. Ravi is a family member. This has boosted Mr. Rajanna's prospects of becoming the party's consensus candidate.
The election process was previously stalled after the lone candidate, former BJP legislator Belli Prakash, withdrew his nomination. The Congress leadership had struggled to field a unified candidate, with multiple leaders vying for the position, eventually necessitating intervention from the party's central command.
A similar deadlock has affected the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), where elections for the chairman's post were postponed. D.K. Suresh, president of Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd. and brother of the Chief Minister, had been contesting against K. Raghavendra Hitnal, an MLA backed by Mr. Siddaramaiah. Party sources suggest that KMF polls may also be scheduled soon, with Malur MLA K.Y. Nanjegowda, who heads the Kolar Milk Union, emerging as a likely compromise candidate given the Chief Minister's stance on family members contesting.