Milking Their Way To Power: Why A Winning Grip By DK Suresh In KMF Will Help Shivakumar

Last Updated:May 27, 2025, 13:20 IST

As Congress backed candidates won 11 out of 18 seats in Bamul elections, it is a significant step for Suresh towards becoming Karnataka Milk Federation Chairman.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh. (Image: PTI)

The wound of losing the Lok Sabha elections from the Bengaluru Rural constituency may still be fresh for DK Suresh, brother of Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar. The defeat left both Suresh and the Shivakumar camp politically bruised, and BAMUL has now become their chosen battleground for recovery.

As Congress backed candidates won 11 out of 18 seats in the recently concluded Bamul elections, it is a significant step for Suresh towards becoming the Chairman of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). A six time former MP and brother of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Suresh’s team’s victory in the coveted BAMUL (Bangalore Urban, Rural and Ramanagara District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union) elections is more than just a cooperative win – it’s a critical step toward the chairmanship of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).

Suresh, sources say, may back RK Ramesh from Anekal, known to be his closest aide, for the Bamul president post.

Milk, Money And More

The post holds not just symbolic power, but is also part of a larger political strategy that could help Suresh regain lost ground and lay the foundation for his brother’s long-anticipated bid to become chief minister of Kartnataka.

This is a power play driven by milk, money, and manpower. The battle for control over KMF – and what lies beyond – is only just beginning.

The DK brothers now seem to be placing their political bets on the dairy sector. With Suresh winning BAMUL, the door to the KMF presidency is now ajar. If he manages to secure that position, it could mark a major shift – not just for him, but for Shivakumar as well as it will help Shivakumar also gain control at the grassroots level.

It would give the Congress new levers to counter the influence long held by JD(S) leaders like HD Revanna, who had used the KMF chairmanship as a base of power while Kumaraswamy held the chief minister’s post.

The BJP-backed panel secured two seats, while the JD(S) managed just one. With the Congress-supported group now in majority, Suresh is expected to be elected Chairman of Bamul when the vote is held on June 10. This will automatically make him a member of the KMF board, paving the way for him to contest the Chairman’s post, likely to be held next month.

For Suresh, the BAMUL victory marks the DK brothers’ clearest attempt yet at re-establishing grassroots influence. He had taken a political hit in 2024, when he — then the only Congress MP from Karnataka — was defeated by Dr CN Manjunath, the son-in-law of JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, in Bangalore Rural by a significant margin of 2,69,647 votes.

The dairy cooperative sector in Karnataka is no ordinary administrative entity — it is an economic and political powerhouse. KMF works with over 2.6 million milk producers who are members of more than 14,000 cooperative societies spread across 22,000 villages. It is the second-largest dairy cooperative in India, after Amul.

With direct links to over 10 lakh farmers, an annual turnover of around Rs 25,000 crore, and control over milk pricing and subsidies, its influence runs deep into rural Karnataka, particularly in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region. Both DK brothers belong to the Vokkaligas community.

While Suresh had initially downplayed the speculation around KMF, saying, “The KMF issue is not under discussion at the moment… I am contesting as a representative of Kanakapura, and on the insistence of party leaders," few in Karnataka’s political circles take that at face value. With 13 of 14 milk union elections already going the Congress’s way — and only BAMUL and KOMUL (Kolar) left until now — Suresh’s win is both symbolic and strategic.

“There is no doubt that whoever becomes the chairman of KMF will wield a lot of political clout and may be in a position to influence decisions at the top, including leadership transitions," said a senior Congress leader aware of the developments.

What it means for Shivakumar

For Shivakumar, who is already managing internal challenges within the Congress and preparing for a bigger role, the timing is crucial. Political analysts point out that a transfer of power between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar may take place within months — something that was reportedly agreed upon before the 2023 Assembly polls under an informal understanding brokered by Sonia Gandhi. In that context, Suresh’s entry into the KMF race has strategic importance.

Cooperative institutions in Karnataka have long been political nurseries. Many leaders from the BJP, JD(S), and Congress began their careers in cooperative elections. These bodies function as hubs of patronage, grassroots control, and political networking. With BAMUL in the bag, Suresh now gains influence over other cooperative chairpersons, helping consolidate loyalty to the DK faction.

HP Rajkumar, a trusted aide of Shivakumar from Kanakapura, previously held the post of BAMUL president. BAMUL is one of 16 unions under KMF. While elections have already been held in 14 unions — with Congress-backed candidates winning 13 — the Hassan Milk Union remains in JD(S) control under HD Revanna. The remaining key unions, BAMUL and KOMUL, were the final pieces in the puzzle.

With Suresh’s win, sources indicate that the top contenders for the KMF chairmanship now include incumbent chairman LBP Bheema Naik, DK Suresh, and Malur MLA KY Nanjegowda.

Political analyst Sandeep Shastri said that one way for DK Shivakumar to assert his presence in the leadership race is by flexing his muscles through the cooperative sector. “Yes, it’s not only a consequence, it’s also a cause," he said.

“Getting a firm foothold in the milk cooperatives is part of his larger political agenda… the whole move of Greater Bangalore that he’s talking about. I think it’s part of the broader plan — his brother getting into the milk cooperative structure. Now, they would want to displace those from the Deve Gowda faction who are part of the Karnataka Milk Federation. That would be the game plan," Shastri told News18.

He added that if the CM’s chair does eventually come to Shivakumar through a power transfer, controlling the milk unions will help cement his grip from the grassroots up. “Yes, he’s strengthening both Suresh and Shivakumar’s roles and further bolstering his claim to leadership by expanding the scope of control he’s able to wield."

With his brother now rising in the cooperative hierarchy, Shivakumar strengthens his grip on the ground-level machinery of the Congress.

When asked about reports of a possible leadership change in the state, Suresh dismissed them, saying, “There is no discussion about replacing the chief minister. Siddaramaiah is our CM, and both he and the deputy CM are working together to meet the aspirations of the people." But many in political circles believe there is more to it than meets the eye.

A year after losing his Lok Sabha seat, DK Suresh made his formal entry into Karnataka’s powerful dairy sector on Saturday by filing his nomination from Kanakapura for the BAMUL director’s post. He said he was contesting at the insistence of party leaders.

While speculation was rife that he had been fielded to strengthen his claim for the KMF top post, he maintained: “The KMF matter is not under discussion right now. Our party leaders have served as presidents and directors of BAMUL for the past 10 years. I am standing with them because they asked me to. I submitted my nomination based on their suggestions."

Suresh was earlier expected to contest the Channapatna bypoll but stayed away. When asked, he said: “MLAs, former directors and presidents of BAMUL, and many district leaders wanted me to contest. As a party worker, I had to listen to them."

Now, with BAMUL under his belt, Suresh has taken the major step back into political relevance. And for the DK brothers, the milk war preludes a bigger battle for power.

Location :

First Published:

News politics Milking Their Way To Power: Why A Winning Grip By DK Suresh In KMF Will Help Shivakumar