Karnataka: BJP MLA elected president of DCC bank despite Congress majority

KALABURAGI: In a dramatic development, BJP MLA Rajakumar Patil Telkur of Sedam got elected as the president of the Yadgir-Kalaburagi District Cooperative Central (DCC) Bank despite the directors belonging to Congress Party were having the majority.

While BJP leader Suresh Sajjan was elected as the vice-President, party leader Shivanand Mankar was elected as the representative.

Telkur, who is the BJP MLA of Sedam constituency, was nominated as ex-officio director of the Yadgir- Kalaburagi DCC Bank by the government on Wednesday. The government intimated Congress leaders Somashekhar Gonaik, Goutam Patil, and Bapu Gowda Patil by the Joint Director of Cooperative Societies that they had been disqualified for the directorship of DCC Bank. They were told that they could sign in the attendance registrar but can not participate in the elections.

Though they were disqualified on December 25, they were intimated about their disqualification only on late Thursday evening.

While Telkur, Sajjan, and Mankar secured 9 votes each, Basavaraj Patil and Sidram Patil, who contested for the posts of president and vice president respectively, secured 4 votes each. It is said that 2 directors of Congress voted in favor of BJP candidates.

While speaking to reporters, Telkur denied that he and others got elected using unfair means. On the need for disqualifying 3 directors belonging to Congress, he said they were disqualified by the Joint Registrar and therefore, can not participate in the voting process.

Their disqualification has nothing to do with the elections which took place on Friday. The Joint Registrar and the disqualified directors have to answer why they were disqualified, Telkur said.

Telkur, who is also chairman of NEKSRTC, said that all the MLAs from the Kalaburagi district have urged the CM to give a grant of Rs 500 crores for the revival of Yadgir-Kalaburagi DCC Bank.