The election of Bellary MLA G Somasekar Reddy, brother of mining lord G Janardhana Reddy as the KMF Chairman, ending 15-year long innings of H D Revanna of the JD(S) has created serious differences among a section of the BJP leaders that only threatens to aggravate in the coming days.
A group of BJP leaders led by State BJP President D V Sadananda Gowda were against Somasekar Reddy heading the KMF, which Reddy brothers were simply not ready to give up. Chief Minister Yeddyurappa too favoured Gowda for the coveted post, it is said.
For the Reddy brothers, winning the KMF chairman polls by ousting Revanna was like a victory over their arch-rival H D Deve Gowda and his family. They had been claiming that Somasekar Reddy will be the chairman even before going to the polls.
Sources said, Sadananda Gowda and his supporters argued that the Reddys have not played an important role in ousting the JD(S) from the KMF. Gowda had also managed to convince RSS leaders in this regard and mounted pressure on the CM to stop Somasekar Reddy from holding the reins of the KMF.
In fact, Gowda has been eying the KMF chairman’s post, as he will become ‘under-employed’ soon. His term as the State BJP President ends in November. So was the reason Gowda forced the CM to make him one of the nominated members of the KMF Board, a day before the elections.
Futile attempt
The CM made a futile attempt to convince the Reddys, on Friday. The adamant Reddys threatened to contest the polls as rebels if the party stands against them and even they asked the CM to give the State party president’s post in exchange of the chairman’s post. This was not acceptable to the CM. Also, sources said, the CM did not want take the ‘powerful’ the Reddys headon when the Legislature session is on and important financial bills needs to be approved.
When contacted, Sadananda Gowda said that the credit of taking KMF to the BJP fold goes to the party and not to any individual including the Reddys. “I do agree that the KMF has come to the party fold in Bellary district because of Reddys. But in other places, it is not so. Krishna Reddy and Narayanaswamy of Kolar district were in-charge of the KMF elections. They had organised Haalu Prakoshtaka convention three months ago in Bangalore”, he added.
Asked whether he would replace Reddy after three months as the chairman, he said he would discuss the matter with the CM. Gowda was also involved in the co-operative movement. He was the chairman of Campco and DCC Bank.
‘No sharing of term’
Meanwhile, Somasekar Reddy has rubbished reports that he has become KMF chairman only for three months, and would relinquish the post for Sadananda Gowda. “There was no pact (to hand over the charge after three months) whatsoever... There is no question of sharing the term,” he stated in a release.
He further said, “there was some uncertainty when the Government chose Sadananda Gowda as one of the three nominated members to the KMF Board on Friday. However, decks were cleared after a marathon meeting with the party leaders late on Friday night.”
Reddy said he will give clean, transparent and impartial administration.
Efforts will be made to get good price for milk producers, while ensuring that the KMF supplies best quality milk and other by-products to consumers at the competitive prices, he stated.
Milch cow?
* KMF is a cash-rich co-op & the only profit making co-op federation in the State
* It’s turnover in 2008-09 was Rs 2,800 crore
* It had made a profit of Rs 11 crore in 2008-09
* KMF procures 39 lakh litres milk / day
* 13 milk unions, which have 11,140 Dairy Co-op Societies covering 19,000 villages, come under KMF
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