With polls ahead, Amul vs Nandini issue making waves in Karnataka

The Nandini vs Amul issue has become a poll headache for the BJP which faces a crucial election next month in Karnataka.

The Congress has alleged that the entry of Amul would pose a threat to Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) brand 'Nandini' which is closely associated with the Kannadigas.

Former chief minster, Siddaramaiah has alleged that the entry of Amul will destroy the state's pride. The ruling BJP has however hit back at saying that the there is no proposal to merge KMF and Amul. It also hit out at the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) for making the entry of Amul into a political issue ahead of the elections.

Minister for Cooperatives ST Somashekar said, " the production of milk during the summer is relatively less. There are 15 milk unions in Karnataka and all are making profits. Amul is selling milk online for Rs 57 per litre but Nandini milk costs only Rs 39 per litre. We send Nandini products to other states, including Tamil Nadu. We want to develop Nandini products like how Gujarat did it for Amul."

The higher education minister of Karnataka, Dr. C N Ashwathnarayan rubbished the rumours of KMF's merer with Amul and said, "KMF's turnover is around Rs 20,000 crore and without the cooperative department any merger is impossible."

The controversy began in December when Union Home Minister, Amit Shah said at a rally in Mandya, "together Amul and Nandini will help set up primary diaries in every village of Karnataka within three years." The issue picked up pace last week when Amul announced that it will begin delivering milk and curd in Bengaluru.

Given its massive network, no state government has till date tried and dictated terms to KMF. A majority of milk producers from the Old Mysuru Region such as Mandya, Mysuru, Ramnagar, Kolar and central Karnataka district of Davanagere rely heavily on KMF. This region is important politically as it comprises the powerful Vokkaliga community, which account for around 14 per cent of the state's population.

This is also a strong belt for the Congress and JD(S) and the BJP has been trying not make inroads here. This explains why the BJP has been countering the opposition's narrative on the 'Amul vs KMF' issue.

The importance of Nandini can be seen in the fact that it has been endorsed by the likes of Dr. Rajkumar, Upendra and Puneeth Rajkumar.