Rajanna re-elected unopposed as DCC Bank president in Tumakuru

Tumakuru: Senior Congress leader and former minister K.N. Rajanna, who recently lost his cabinet berth after displeasing the party high command, has once again reinforced his stronghold in the cooperative sector. On Tuesday, he was unanimously re-elected as the president of the Tumakuru District Central Cooperative Bank (DCC Bank) for a record seventh term.

The election, held earlier in the day, saw the participation of 14 directors of the bank’s governing board, who unanimously endorsed Rajanna for the top post. The decision triggered celebrations among his supporters, who hailed the victory as a reaffirmation of Rajanna’s unmatched clout in Tumakuru’s cooperative landscape.

Rajanna’s association with the cooperative movement dates back to the early 1970s. Over the decades, he has held several influential positions, including Director of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India and President of the Karnataka State Cooperative Apex Bank during two separate terms (2001–2005 and 2015–2020). His leadership has been credited with strengthening the functioning of the Tumakuru DCC Bank, particularly in extending credit and financial services to farmers, small entrepreneurs, and rural households.

This latest victory is his seventh successive term as president of the DCC Bank, underscoring the depth of his influence and the loyalty he commands in the cooperative sector.

Rajanna, who began his political journey as secretary of the Congress’ Kyathasandra unit in 1972, entered the Karnataka Legislative Council in 1998. Although denied a Congress ticket in 2004, he won from Bellavi on a JD(S) ticket, only to return to the Congress later and secure victories from the Madhugiri Assembly constituency in 2013 and 2023. In the Siddaramaiah-led government, he briefly served as Cooperation Minister before being dropped from the cabinet in August 2025 after openly criticizing Rahul Gandhi over the “vote theft” controversy.

The Tumakuru DCC Bank plays a pivotal role in the district’s rural economy by providing loans, deposit schemes, and other financial services. Under Rajanna’s stewardship, it has gained stability and trust among the farming community. His re-election, despite political setbacks, signals not only his enduring grassroots support but also his ability to leverage cooperative networks as a parallel power base.

Observers note that Rajanna’s victory could further embolden him politically at a time when his relations with the Congress high command remain strained.