Belagavi: Belagavi District Credit Cooperative (DCC) Bank, one of the biggest cooperative banks in the country remained a non-political entity for many decades but that is now set to change for the better or worse.
The bank which has 842 credit cooperative organisations working under it in Belagavi region has attracted the attention of top politicians with several of them contesting the elections to the board of directors slated for June 13. Five MLAs, a former MP and many top politicians from Belagavi have already filed their nomination papers. They include chairman of the bank, MLA Laxman Savadi and legislators Mahantesh Kavatgimath, Anand Mamni, Umesh Katti and Vishwanath Patil.
According to sources, MLAs Sanjay Patil and Shashikala Jolle too are expected to file their nominations. Many legislators who started political career as cooperative leaders are heading back to the sector. The coming DCC election for 16 posts of directors has become a matter of prestige for legislators with most of them forming their own groups to take on their rivals.
Mr Savadi and former MP Ramesh Katti who filed their nominations on Friday said cooperative organisations in the region come together for elections and the question of politics in the sector never arises. The role of Mr Katti has been instrumental in building DCC Bank as a powerful unit since 1999. He helped DCC Bank emerge from a severe crisis when he took over as its chairman in 1999 and went on to win elections thrice in a row.
According to sources, at least 207 nomination papers have been filed for 16 posts of directors of DCC Bank.
