Bangalore | As the Amul vs Nandini battle heats up in poll-bound Karnataka, at the heart of a seemingly corporate war is the Kannadiga pride and the rural economy dependent on the home-grown brand. And the ruling BJP may have to do a tightrope walking to steer clear of the issue that may well dominate the political narrative in the coming days, much as it has hogged the limelight over the weekend.
1. Why Amul's announcement to sell its milk and curd in Karnataka became an issue?
In December last, Amit Shah during the inauguration of KMF's mega dairy in Mandya said the "cooperation between Amul and Nandini can do wonders in the dairy sector". The opposition called it a plan to merge Nandini with Gujarat, which the ruling BJP in Karnataka rubbished.
In the last week of March this year, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) directed to write "Dahi" in Hindi on curd packets apart from the local nomenclature, which the opposition parties called an imposition of the language.
2. Wasn't Amul operating in Karnataka before?
Amul had been selling its butter, Ghee, yogurt and ice cream in the state for a very long time. Not just Amul, there are some other dairy brands selling packaged milk and curd such as Dodla and Heritage (Telangana), Tirumala, Arokya and Milky Mist (TN), Namdhari and Akshayakalpa (Karnataka).
3. What is the opposition's fear?
The opposition parties charge the government will create scarcity of Nandini products, making it less competitive to Amul and force people to buy Amul products once its milk and curd are allowed to be sold.
4. If Nandini can sell its products in other states, what is wrong in Amul doing business in Karnataka?
Maharashtra State Cooperative Milk Federation Limited, also known as Mahanand Dairy, is not doing good business ever since Amul entered the market. Similarly, the cooperative milk federations did not pick up much in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
5. Why is it vital for the Karnataka BJP to steer clear of this controversy?
When the rural economy is dependent on KMF and the emotions of Kannadigas are deeply attached to the Nandini brand, it is essential for the ruling BJP to come out clean to retain power after the May 10 assembly polls. The Congress and the JD(S) are leaving no stone unturned to make it a major poll plank, which has the potential to ruin the saffron party's election prospects.