The counting of votes in the NCUI elections has concluded, producing results that largely matched the pattern predicted by Indian Cooperative. However, two outcomes surprised observers-Nakul Kadu’s victory over Sanjay Bhende and H.K. Patil winning his seat after a tie-break.
Candidates backed by Sahakar Bharati delivered a dominant performance across most constituencies.
The National Federations constituency produced the expected outcome. The winners were NCCF Chairman Vishal Singh (11 votes), IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani (10), NAFED Director Mohanbhai Kundariya (9), while KRIBHCO Director Bipin Patel and NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah secured eight votes each. One vote was rejected, and three ballot papers remained unused.
In the State Cooperative Unions and Union Territories constituency, Vinay Shahi and Jeena Potsangbam defeated their rivals.
Seventeen of the 18 eligible delegates cast their votes. Bihar State Cooperative Union Chairman Vinay Kumar Shahi defeated Odisha’s Prabasini Sarangi by 11 votes to 6, while Jeena Potsangbam of Manipur registered a comfortable 15-2 victory over Mangaljit Rai. Rai, who was not an active contestant in practical terms, could not withdraw his nomination due to unavoidable circumstances.
In the State-level Cooperative Federations and Associations (Western and Southern India) constituency, former BJP MP Annasaheb Jolle won comfortably.
The constituency witnessed a one-sided contest. Jolle secured 15 votes, while his rival Sanjeev Kushalkar failed to open his account. Notably, only 15 of the 22 eligible votes were cast.
One of the most dramatic moments of the election unfolded in the State Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and Credit Societies Federations constituency. H.K. Patil and Sunil Gupta finished with four votes each, resulting in a deadlock. As per the election rules, the winner was decided through a draw of lots, with fortune favouring H.K. Patil, who was eventually declared elected.
The biggest surprise, however, came from the Multi-State Cooperative Societies constituency. Sahakar Bharati-backed Nakul Kadu emerged victorious with 14 votes, while BJP MLC Sanjay Bhende, despite reportedly enjoying the backing of senior BJP leaders from Maharashtra, suffered an unexpected defeat with 12 votes. G.R. Ravichandran and C.B. Jissoji secured one vote each, while the remaining candidates failed to open their accounts.
Polling and counting at the NCUI headquarters in New Delhi attracted cooperative leaders and delegates from across the country, transforming the venue into what many participants described as a “Cooperative Kumbh.”
Prominent personalities, including Dileep Sanghani, Mohanbhai Kundariya, Bipin Patel, Uday Joshi, Jyotindra Mehta, Laxmi Das, H.K. Patil, D.N. Thakur and several other senior cooperators, remained present throughout the day, underscoring the significance of the election for the country’s cooperative movement.
The formal results will be announced once the Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) approves the results submitted by the Returning Officer. Thereafter, attention will shift to the election of the NCUI President and Vice-President, where another closely watched contest is expected to shape the future leadership of India’s apex cooperative institution.
(With inputs from Rohit Gupta, Principal Correspondent) 
