MyMul poll: HDK’s syndicate loses to G T Devegowda syndicate

The syndicate of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy lost to the syndicate of his own party MLA G T Devegowda in the election to Mysore District Co-Operative Milk Producers’ Societies Union ((MyMul) here, on Tuesday.

Kumaraswamy went to the extent of opposing P M Prasanna, son of his own party MLA K Mahadev in Periyapatna taluk. However, Prasanna won.

The election was held for 15 directors, with 29 candidate in the fray. All 1,052 voters in Mysuru and Hunsur sub-divisions, cast their votes. While the syndicate of Devegowda swept all eight seats of Hunsur sub-division, the syndicate of Kumaraswamy managed to win three seats in Mysuru sub-division.

The new directors of Devegowda syndicate are: B N Sadananda, C Omprakash, B Neelambike Mahesh Kurahatti and Leela (Nagaraj) in Mysuru sub-division and K S Kumar, A T Somasekhar, K Eregowda, Jagadish (Basappa), P M Prasanna, H D Rajendra, Dakshayani and A Shivagami of Hunsur sub-division. The directors of Kumaraswamy syndicate are: R Cheluvaraju, K G Mahesh and K Umashankar. The term of the new directors is five years.

It has to be noted that Devegowda, representing Chamundeshwari segment, has been maintaining a distance from both the JD(S) and Kumaraswamy, since the formation of JD(S)-Congress coalition government, even though he was minister for Higher Education in the cabinet.

On the contrary, KR Nagar MLA Sa Ra Mahesh is projected as the trusted lieutenant of Kumaraswamy. Devegowda has been describing Mahesh as the party high-command of Mysuru.

Even as Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, also a strongman from Mysuru, kept away from the election of MyMul, stating that it will be taken care of by local leaders, Kumaraswamy took the election personally and chipped in, in favour of Mahesh. He even camped in Mysuru and other taluks of the district, for several days, to garner support for the candidates favoured by Mahesh.

Devegowda is a cooperative since over four decades and was president of Karnataka State Co-Operative Federation. His wife K Lalitha is president of Karnataka State Co-Operative Credit Societies Federation, while his son G D Harish Gowda is president of Mysuru District Central Co-Operative Bank and vice-president of Apex Bank.

Devegowda strived to garner the support of cooperatives in all three parties, the JD(S), the BJP and the Congress. Congress MLAs H P Manjunath and Anil Chikkamaadu supported him. Besides, Siddaramaiah indirectly supported Devegowda, due to his recent opposition to Kumaraswamy.

Devegowda went to the extent of fielding Mahesh’s supporters.