KMF at centre of fresh dissent in BJP

DHNS

Bangalore/Mangalore, 28 June 2010: The dormant dissent in the Bharatiya Janata Party seems to have revived, with former State unit president D V Sadananda Gowda resigning as Director of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Sadananda Gowda indicated that he had resigned the post he occupied after he stepped down as the State party president, after the government reneged on its promise to make him the Chairman of the KMF after he served as Director for six months.

Stating that the question of the withdrawal of his resignation “does not rise at all,” Gowda said. Gowda was tipped to be the Chairman of the resource-rich KMF after he vacated the post of the State party chief, but legislator Somashekhara Reddy, brother of the powerful ministerial duo of Janardhana and Karunakara Reddy pipped him to the post. Gowda swallowed his humiliation and accepted the post of the Director after he received assurance that he would be made president after six months.

“As promised earlier, I should have been given the post of the president. Three months passed by after that deadline, and there was no development. Hence, I have resigned out of frustration,” Gowda said in Mangalore, adding that his move was not designed to pressure the government.

Speaking to the media before leaving for Bangalore, Gowda said he was “not unhappy” with anyone. He said he was unaware of rumours of him being tipped for the chairmanship of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
Asked to react to the development, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said he was yet to receive Gowda’s resignation. 

To a question whether Gowda was disappointed as he was not made chairman of KMF, Yeddyurappa said he would not discuss party’s affairs with media.