Former MP and Congress leader DK Suresh, who lost the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha election last year, is venturing into the politics of the milk federations. On Saturday, May 17, he filed his nomination papers for the post of director of the Bangalore Milk Union Limited (BAMUL).
After filing his nomination papers, he told the media that he was contesting the election as a representative of Kanakapura.
Asked if he was an aspirant for the post of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) president, Suresh said that he was contesting the election on the insistence of party leaders.
“The KMF issue is not under discussion at the moment. Our party leaders have served as president and directors of BAMUL for the past 10 years. So there is nothing special about it. I have taken this decision as they insisted on me being with them,” he said.
Suresh had contested the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha seat last year, but lost to CN Manjunath of the Janata Dal (Secular). It was later speculated that he would contest from Channapatna, where the Congress party later fielded CP Yogeshwar.
BAMUL is one of 16 milk subsidiary milk unions of the KMF. Congress-backed candidates have won 13 of 14 milk union elections that have already been held. The JD(S) won the Hassan milk union election. BAMUL and Kolar Milk Union Limited are yet to hold elections.
To a question on whether Suresh contesting the election was part of the DK brothers’ (Suresh and Shivkumar) rivalry with HD Deve Gowda’s family, Suresh said, “Those who want will debate in any way. Our aim is to protect the interests of farmers. We must work towards bringing about significant changes in the dairy sector and I am committed to achieving this.”