In a major move to ensure transparent and timely elections in the cooperative sector, the Co-operative Election Authority (CEA), has so far conducted 113 elections of Board of Directors and Office Bearers of Multi-State Cooperative Societies.
The Authority headed by Devendra Kumar Singh operates from its headquarters at World Trade Centre, Nauroji Nagar, New Delhi.
In March 2025 alone, elections were successfully conducted in 13 societies, where all directors were elected unopposed.
These include prominent names such as Shri Beereshwar Cooperative Credit Society (Belagavi), APNA Agro MSCS (Visakhapatnam), Kendriya Infrastructure and Development Co-op Society (Thrissur), and others.
Additionally, election programs for nine more societies were issued during the month, including Shrigurumauli MSCCS (Solapur), Painganga MSCCSL (Nanded), and Lokmangal MSCS (Solapur).
To ensure elections are held on time, the Authority also reached out to 315 societies whose board terms end by March 31, 2026, urging them to submit election proposals in line with Section 45J(8), which requires notification to the Authority six months before a board’s term expires.
The active functioning of the Co-operative Election Authority marks a significant step in strengthening democracy and accountability in the cooperative sector, with 146 election programs issued and more than 100 elections already successfully conducted.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Cooperation (MoC) is actively strengthening the cooperative movement, promoting a cooperative-based economic model, and training cooperative members and officials to improve governance and efficiency.
Despite all the right moves, the CEC is yet to announce the results of the election for the leading fertilizer cooperative, KRIBHCO. A deadlock over representation from Gujarat remains unresolved, hindering the growth of the cooperative entity.
The government has directed the existing management to continue operations without making any policy decisions. A similar situation prevails in Biscomaun, the marketing cooperative federation of Bihar, where the election results are still pending finalization.
