The election for the President and Vice-President of the Karnataka State Co-operative Apex Bank Ltd. will be held on September 10, potentially setting the stage for a political face-off between Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and former Cooperation Minister and veteran cooperative leader K.N. Rajanna.
The election process will begin with nomination filing, scrutiny and withdrawal. If more than one candidate remains in the fray, secret voting will be held, followed by counting and declaration of results.
The election, earlier scheduled for January 29, was cancelled at the last moment amid reported differences between the two camps. Shivakumar was reportedly backing his associate S. Ravi, while Rajanna was seeking the post himself. Rajanna has previously served as Apex Bank president twice and remains influential in the cooperative sector.
Rajanna is believed to have the support of around 11 directors, with BJP and JD(S)-backed directors potentially playing a crucial role.
The September 10 poll is therefore being closely watched as a key test of political influence in Karnataka’s cooperative sector.
