Jagdish Mehta, the serving vice-president of NAFCUB has been elevated to the post of officiating Chairman in the wake of induction of HK Patil into the Karnataka cabinet.
“It would make no difference and practically Mr Patil would be overseeing the affairs of Nafscub”, said one of his closest aides.
Nafcub is holding its board meeting today on Thursday in Banglore where Mr Patil would actively participate, he added.
Mr Patil has been made Rural Development and Panchayatiraj Minister, a subject close to his heart. Sources say his name was doing rounds for the post of Deputy Chief Ministership as the incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is relatively new to the party. But the idea was shelved later.
Nafcub is caught in a quandary with the issue of election to board caught in legal wrangling. The election process was shelved midway amid charges of tampering with the voter list more than a couple of years ago. The matter is pending in Allahabad High Court ever since.
Jagdish Mehta, the officiating Chairman belongs to Gujarat and is one of the two Vice-Presidents elected earlier. The other Vice-President passed away some time ago, leaving a clear field for Mr Mehta. But with Patil still around, sources add, Mehta has little leeway to run the affairs on his own.