Battle Lines Drawn for KDCC Bank Election in Uttara Kannada with Poll Schedule Announcement  

By The News Observer Desk

Karwar:  The intrusion of politicians into the district’s cooperative sector has transformed the entire field into a political battleground, making this year’s KDCC Bank election more intense than ever. Last time, Sahakara Bharati, which secured the most seats, has opted not to contest directly but has allied with Congress—a fresh twist in the district’s cooperative politics.

Many who triumphed under the RSS-affiliated Sahakara Bharati banner previously have now aligned with Congress. Most have joined Mankal Vaidya’s camp, while a handful support Shivaram Hebbar. Previously, the power tussle at the district DCC Bank was between BJP and Congress, but this round pits official Congress against unofficial Congress: Mankal Vaidya versus Shivaram Hebbar. Amid this, the BJP’s Sahakara Bharati has simply disappeared!

Former MP Anant Kumar Hegde, who tirelessly campaigned for Sahakara Bharati candidates last time, has vanished from the district after losing his party ticket. Shivaram Hebbar, a past BJP winner, adds intrigue to the Vaidya-Hebbar rivalry. Sahakara Bharati members have teamed up with Congress to safeguard their directorial positions, marking a significant shift.

Recently, former Sahakara Bharati-elected KDCC Bank directors and others convened at a temple in Kolagibees, resolving to back Mankal Vaidya. Attendees reportedly decided to appoint either current DCC Bank director Suresh Chandra Hegde Keshamane, TSS President Gopalakrishna Vaidya, or DCC Bank Vice President Mohan Das Nayak as KDCC Bank president, while sending Mankal Vaidya as a director to the Apex Bank.

In the coastal regions, Mankal Vaidya’s team employs clever strategies, securing wins in Honnavar—a blow to Shivaram Hebbar’s group. Hebbar’s faction is expected to dominate the upper ghats, turning the district-wide contest into a coastal-versus-ghat cooperative war.

Surprisingly, several close aides of MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri are aligning with Minister Mankal Vaidya’s faction, shocking BJP ranks. Supporters lament the party’s blunder in not fielding leaders via Sahakara Bharati. Kageri has shown little interest in the KDCC polls, maintaining distance like a lotus untouched by mud. Consequently, BJP’s Sahakara Bharati has faded, leaving everything Congress-saturated.

With both facing factions rooted in Congress (official and unofficial), BJP faces the dilemma of endorsing one side. The party that claimed victory in cooperatives last time now contests zero seats under Sahakara Bharati, stirring unease even in RSS circles.

Sahakara Bharati’s ‘Lotus’ in Congress’s Lap

By nominating Congress-BJP alliance candidates for the prestigious KDCC Bank directorate election, politics reaffirms that no enmities or alliances are eternal.

Even before the KDCC Bank election schedule, the showdown between two powerhouse factions has begun. Yallapur MLA and incumbent president Shivaram Hebbar’s group, alongside district in-charge minister Mankal Vaidya’s camp, have hit the ground running. Both are campaigning fiercely to elect their nominees.

Determined to defeat Vice President Mohan Das Nayak—who plotted a no-confidence motion against him—and Minister Mankal Vaidya, Hebbar has fielded his candidates. Meanwhile, Vaidya vows to oust Hebbar from the presidency, leveraging BJP and Sahakara Bharati support to launch alliance contenders—a move sparking district-wide buzz.

  Sahakara Bharati’s Failure!

BJP, which avoids Congress alliances at all costs, allowing its workers to seek refuge under the ‘hand’ symbol in the KDCC Bank election has become a bitter pill for RSS chiefs. Sahakara Bharati, victorious with 12 seats in 2020, lacks the strength to contest even one this time, opting for mere support—a source of discontent within BJP. Even Kageri’s die-hard fans publicly claim Vaidya allegiance, signaling implicit BJP leadership backing. This national cooperative body, now unable to assert itself locally and chanting praises for Congress, poses a major headache for RSS leaders.