New Delhi:
The Karnataka Milk Federation‘s dairy products brand, Nandini, will be on sale in the national capital – its first foray into markets in north India – from Thursday on the back of a high-profile launch event to be attended by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The brand will be launched by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the presence of his cabinet with Ms Sitharaman, the Rajya Sabha MP from the state, also in attendance.
Nandini’s Delhi entry follows a political slugfest in April last year between the Congress (and its then ally, the Janata Dal Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. That spat was triggered by news Amul, the Gujarat-based dairy giant had plans to enter the Karnataka market.
The row was significant as it was less than a month before the Karnataka election; the Congress and JDS accused the BJP (then in power in the state) of trying to undermine local dairy producers.
The BJP counterattacked by accusing the Congress of spreading a “misinformation campaign” and insisted it had done more than its rivals to strengthen the local brand.
READ | Amul-Nandini Row Made Emotional Issue Due To Elections: Minister
Ms Sitharaman had then come out swinging in support of her party and plans to bring Amul to Karnataka, saying the competition would only strengthen both dairy producers.
She also claimed Amul had, in fact, entered Karnataka, when the Congress ruled.
The Amul-Nandini war in Karnataka played out again in June – but this time in Kerala, with the ruling Left front protesting the Kannada milk producers’ brand pushing into its state.
READ | Months After Amul vs Nandini, Milk War Between Kerala, Karnataka
Days later that expansion was put on hold.
READ | Karnataka’s ‘Nandini’ Brand Halts Kerala Plans Amid Milk War
The Nandini brand was also at the centre of a controversy in Andhra Pradesh’s temple town of Tirupati after allegations animal fat was used in ghee used to make laddoos.
READ | Karnataka Politics On Boil Over Nandini Milk, With Religion Tinge
The shipment of ghee in question were delivered by a Tamil Nadu-based company, but the Karnataka Milk Federation, which owns the Nandini brand, was dragged into the mess.
This was after the BJP’s then state boss, Nalinkumar Kateel, accused the Congress of stopping supply of ghee because of its “indifference towards Hindu beliefs and devotion”.
In response, Siddaramaiah pointed out supply had stopped 18 months earlier.
In June Nandini announced an increase in milk prices of Rs 2 per litre, but offset that partly by offering customers 50 ml more per litre. The increase was due to petrol and diesel prices being increased too.
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