Bangalore, Jul 26 (DHNS): A year after coming to power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday wrested the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) from the Janata Dal (Secular) with its MLA Somashekara Reddy, brother of Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy, getting unanimously elected chairman of the federation.
Saturday’s election put an end to the JD(S)’s control over the KMF and made H D Revanna step down as chairman after holding the post for 15 years. Revanna kept himself off the poll process, knowing fully well that he had little chance of getting re-elected.
The Reddy brothers from Bellary were very keen to hold the reins of the federation ousting the Gowdas of the JD(S), their arch-rivals.
Though Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had favoured State BJP president D V Sadananda Gowda for the chairman’s post, the Reddy brothers were learnt to have flatly refused it. They, sources said, had even threatened to contest as rebels. The chief minister finally yielded and gave his nod.
A jubilant Janardhana Reddy termed the election “a victory of good over evil.” Speaking to reporters later, he said: “I had been telling that good people will get good things. It has come true now.”
He, however, added it was a victory for the BJP and not for the Reddy brothers.
The election was held in the first meeting of the newly constituted KMF board at its head office in Bangalore. The board comprises 13 elected members (directors of 13 district milk unions), three nominees of the State government, the KMF managing director and a representative of the National Dairy Development Corporation.
Of the elected members, 10 are supporters of the BJP and three are JD(S) supporters. In keeping with the practice, the KMF managing director and the NDDB representative did not participate in the election. The board, which met at 11 am on Saturday, accepted the nomination papers filed by Somashekara Reddy and declared him elected for a two-and-a-half year tenure.
The election was witnessed by the entire Reddy clan—including Janardhana Reddy and Karunakara Reddy—and Sadananda Gowda, Cooperation Minister Lakshman Savadi and Transport Minister R Ashok.
Sadananda Gowda said the BJP would usher in a change in the KMF administration and make it a corruption-free organisation.