BENGALURU: Suspense over the Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank president’s election appears to be nearing an end, with former minister KN Rajanna likely to get the first term under a power-sharing formula agreed upon by the board of directors.
A meeting convened by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday reportedly succeeded in bringing the directors around to a consensus on sharing the president’s post for two-and-a-half years each. However, both Rajanna and MLC S Ravi, who are in the fray for the top post, have maintained their claims.
The question now is who will occupy the chair during the first term. Sources said Rajanna is almost certain to be given the first 2.5-year term, while the arrangement for the subsequent term is expected to be worked out later. Elections to the president and vice-president posts are scheduled for Thursday.
Shivakumar held a meeting with the 19 directors of the Apex Bank in the presence of Cooperation Minister Laxman Savadi. Later in the evening, the directors, Savadi and Rajanna held further deliberations at a private hotel. The issue also reportedly reached the Congress high command. The current contest assumes significance as Shivakumar was keen on getting his brother-in-law and MLC S Ravi elected president.
The question now is whether Ravi will secure the post. At the same time, there is apprehension within the party that denying Rajanna the post could send a wrong political message to the ST Nayaka community, particularly after B Nagendra, another prominent Nayaka leader, resigned from the cabinet. Rajanna’s equation with the Congress high command, however, could prove to be a hurdle. He was dismissed after publicly criticising Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote chori’ campaign in Karnataka.