The election campaign for the AP Mahesh Urban Cooperative Bank has gained significant momentum as polling is scheduled for December 7, 2025. The political temperature within the cooperative has risen sharply, with allegations and counter-allegations intensifying between the rival groups.
This year’s contest carries special significance due to the enforcement of Section 10A(2A)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, which bars directors with more than ten years in office from contesting. Consequently, prominent leaders such as Ramesh Bung and several of his outgoing board colleagues are not contesting, though they have positioned loyalists to maintain their influence.
A total of 15 board seats are up for election, 12 in the General category, 2 for Women, and 1 for SC/ST. For the General seats, 31 candidates are in the fray, while four candidates are contesting the two Women seats. No nomination was filed for the SC/ST seat, leaving it vacant after the final list was published.
Two main panels have emerged as key contenders: the Sansthapak Panel, led by Ramesh Kumar Bung, and the Founder Panel, headed by Kailash Narayana, who is also the Chairman candidate. Both panels have fielded 12 candidates in the General category and 2 in the Women’s category. Seven independents are contesting as well.
The Sansthapak Panel has adopted the slogan “Kaho Dil Se, Sansthapak Panel Phir Se,” emphasising continuity, stability, and proven leadership. The panel cautions voters against “change for the sake of change,” questioning why anyone would move “from a palace to a hut” or turn a profitable business into a loss-making one merely for the sake of transformation.
They point to the 2020–2025 period, when five Founder Panel-backed directors were elected, claiming the bank’s performance weakened during that term compared to its earlier phase.
In contrast, the Founder Panel has launched a high-intensity campaign built on promises of transparency, accountability, and a strong anti-corruption stand. At its ‘Parivartan Jan Sankalp Sabha’ held at Maheshwari Bhavan, its supporters presented RBI letters, ED communications, and Hyderabad Police documents, asserting these revealed past lapses and irregularities.
Chief guest Bhagwati Devi Baldwa, MD of Exorial Group, declared that there can be no compromise in the fight against corruption. She said that complaints made to RBI and enforcement agencies were in the interest of the bank and its shareholders. Urging the community to stand with truth and integrity, she assured that the Founder Panel would function with “100 percent transparency” if elected.
Both panels have intensified their outreach, campaigning through social media, area-level rallies, and direct engagement with shareholders.
With veteran leaders sidelined by new RBI rules and fresh faces backed by powerful factions entering the battlefield, the December 7 election is expected to be a defining moment for Mahesh Bank. Shareholders now face a crucial choice between continuity and the promise of change.
Meanwhile, counting of votes will be held on 8 December 2025, and the official declaration of results will be made on 16 December 2025, after approval from the Cooperative Election Authority.
