NAFED: V R Petal is new Chairman

It is official. V R Patel is the new chairman of the agri-co-operative Nafed. Mr. Patel could escape from facing the polls when the last minute deal favouring him for the top post was hammered out. The outgoing Chairman Bijender Singh has been retained as the Vice-Chairman.

Indian Cooperative proved prophetic Monday morning when it debated the chairmanship issue in the Nafed predicting that V R Patel may emerge as the consensus candidate.

The intense bargaining continued through the forenoon on Monday in the NCUI Board room where the government nominee Ashok Thakur was not ready to budge even a wee bit and insisted on his selection as the Chairman. He promised to secure all governmental support if he were made the Chairman, one of the elected Board members confided to Indian Cooperative.

But it was Chandra Pal Singh Yadav who put his feet down on the issue. Citing cooperative acts he said nominated candidates could not be chosen to head the elected Board.

The NCUI President is believed to have impressed on Ashok Thakur of the nature of the cooperative politics. Pointing towards himself and Bijender Singh, Mr Yadav said “we belong to different political parties and yet fight for the cooperative cause together. On the issue of Thakur securing govt support for Nafed Mr Yadav said “since you are already on the Nafed Board you should support the agri-cooperative before the government”.

Earlier, the new comer Mr Thakur found it hard to find a proposer or a seconder for his candidature. Intense lobbying continued throughout the forenoon and groups of the newly elected directors could be seen sitting separately in the Board room to arrive at a compromise formula. Soon a victorious Chandra Pal came out and made an announcement pointing towards V R Patel as the winner to this reporter.

Later talking to Indian Cooperative, Ashok Thakur said he has been elected the second vice-chairman though the announcement has to wait till a technical glitch is overcome. He cited non-filling of the second post of Vice Chairman as the basis of his statement.

A glum-looking Thakur refused to talk any further. However, there is optimism that rancor and ill-feelings witnessed during the negotiations would be forgotten soon and the new Board would be able to work together infusing life and vigour in the ailing cooperative.