Siddu camp outplays DKS in Tumakuru Milk Union polls

Home and Cooperation Ministers Parameshwara and Rajanna secure HV Venkatesha’s election, blocking Shivakumar’s supporters
Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy and Mandya district leaders felicitate CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar for approval to start Agriculture University in Mandya, in Bengaluru on Wednesday
Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy and Mandya district leaders felicitate CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar for approval to start Agriculture University in Mandya, in Bengaluru on Wednesday Express
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TUMAKURU : In a masterstroke, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s coterie of ministers -- Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara and Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna -- defeated Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s ambition to instal his supporter as Tumakuru Milk Union Limited (Tumul) president. Shivakumar’s younger brother DK Suresh, former Bengaluru Rural MP, aspires to become Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) chief, and in the run-up to the post, they want their supporters at the helm of affairs in Tumul.

But Parameshwara and Rajanna managed to get Pavagada MLA HV Venkatesha, SC (Bhovi) community leader, elected Tumul president on Wednesday. They got him nominated as director by the government on Tuesday with the blessings of Siddaramaiah, and for the very first time, a government nominee became president as the elected directors who identified with the Congress were forced to vote for him.

Venkatesha had planned to switch to the DK Shivakumar camp, but Rajanna managed to retain him by offering the Tumul president’s post.

Shivakumar had wanted either his family member and Kunigal MLA Dr Ranganath, or KSRTC chairman SR Srinivas’s wife KP Bharatidevi to be elected Tumul president, so it would help Suresh in the KMF president’s election. But Rajanna, who actually wanted his son R Raveendra to be nominated director and make him Tumul president, kept aside his personal aspiration to defeat Shivakumar’s plans, according to sources.

The elected directors of Tumul from the Congress, including B Nageshbabu of Madhugiri and MK Prakash of Tiptur, who were also in the race, are disappointed. They felt that nominating an MLA as director and getting him elected president sets the wrong precedent. Following Rajanna’s instructions, nine elected directors voted for Venkatesha defeating BJP candidate SR Gowda, who took five votes of as many directors.

Tumakuru BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda taunted the Congress, alleging that it had cheated Srinivas as his wife could not become Tumul president, and was averse to Vokkaligas and Lingayats.

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