The election for the Multi-State Cooperative Societies constituency in the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) Governing Council has become a topic of intense discussion following an unusual twist involving Maharashtra cooperator Suresh Wable.
According to cooperative circles, Wable had decided to withdraw from the contest after reportedly receiving a call from the Party leadership. However, he could not reach Delhi before the deadline. Though he sent his written consent for withdrawal to the Returning Officer, his nomination could not be formally withdrawn within the prescribed time, leaving him technically in the fray.
As a result, six candidates remain in the contest for the available seats. Besides Wable, the candidates are Maharashtra BJP MLC Sanjay Bhende, Nakul Kadu, C.B. Jisso, G.R. Ravinchandran and Jitendra Jain.
The constituency has an electoral college of 28 voters, with a majority of the electors belonging to Maharashtra. If Wable is also counted, four of the six candidates are from Maharashtra, making the state the dominant player in this contest.
Although cooperative circles believe Sanjay Bhende enjoys considerable support across party lines and is among the strongest contenders, observers say it is still too early to predict the final outcome.
Wable’s inability to formally withdraw has nevertheless added an unexpected dimension to what was already shaping up to be a closely watched NCUI Governing Council election.
