How Siddu went from opposing Amul to offering Nandini in Delhi

NT Bengaluru

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday launching the Karnataka Milk Federation’s (KMF’s) Nandini brand products in the National Capital Region (NCR) is a far cry from his vehement opposition to a similar move by another cooperation in April last year. Dairy brand Amul under the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) had announced its plans to make a foray into the Bengaluru market. Then Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly Siddaramaiah had gone so far as to give a call to boycott Amul. It had also drawn the ire of pro-Kannada organisations like Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) and others who saw it as a threat to the local co-operative Nandini.

They argued that the plan was to finish off Nandini, citing Amul’s far bigger marketing budget. Siddaramaiah even tied it to the merger of Vijaya Bank from Karnataka with Bank of Baroda. Congress had made it a poll agenda, citing Kannadiga pride. However, Siddaramaiah’s hand has been forced as the CM.

The main reason being Karnataka produces 100 litres of milk daily and the local consumption is just 60 litres. The remaining 40 litres is now being redirected to other markets. The controversy erupted in Karnataka in October 2022 when Union Minister for Home and Co-operation Amit Shah said five cooperatives would be merged to form a multi-state cooperative society, which many in Karnataka took to mean Nandini would be involved. The row reappeared in December 2022 when Shah inaugurated a dairy in Mandya district and called for “co-operation” between KMF and Amul, which once again drew flak from the Congress.

The BJP State government even had to clarify that there would be no merger of the two. The issue was resurrected in April 2023 when Amul officially declared its entry into Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Amul executives have insisted that they have been active in north Karnataka since 2015 and even bought milk from local dairy farmers to make their ice creams.