The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned to August 14, 2026 the hearing in the dispute over the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) Governing Council elections, keeping alive the uncertainty over the outcome of the Group-II (National Cooperative Federations) constituency.
A Bench of Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe simply ordered, “Re-list the matter on 14.08.2026,” without issuing any further directions, meaning its interim order regarding the three disputed votes will continue until the next hearing.
The dispute relates to the votes of National Cooperative Exports Ltd. (NCEL), National Cooperative Organics Ltd. (NCOL) and Bhartiya Beej Sahakar Limited (BBSSL). In its interim order dated May 4, 2026, the Supreme Court permitted these entities to participate in the election and cast their votes but directed that their ballots be kept in a sealed cover, with the declaration of the result remaining subject to further orders of the Court.
Ahead of Monday’s hearing, the Cooperative Election Authority (CEA), through its communication dated July 17, clarified that the Supreme Court’s restriction was limited only to these three votes. It accordingly directed the Returning Officer to proceed with the counting of votes in Constituency 14(a)(ii) (Group-II), excluding only the sealed ballot box containing the disputed ballots.
The Returning Officer was also asked to submit a separate report indicating the candidate-wise vote tally (excluding the sealed ballots), along with the number of eligible voters, votes polled and rejected votes.
The NCUI Governing Council comprises 20 elected seats, of which 10 candidates were elected unopposed, while polling for the remaining 10 seats was held on July 18.
Group-II, representing the National Cooperative Federations constituency, is the only constituency where six
candidates are contesting for five seats, making the final position dependent on the fate of the three sealed ballots if the margin between the fifth and sixth candidates is three votes or less.
According to the vote count conducted after excluding the sealed ballots, NCCF Chairman Vishal Singh secured 11 votes, followed by IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani (10) and NAFED Director Mohanbhai Kundariya (9). KRIBHCO Director Bipin Patel and NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah received eight votes each, while one vote was rejected. As the Group-II result has not been formally declared, the Supreme Court’s final decision on the three sealed ballots could determine the eventual outcome.
The unresolved Group-II result could also have a bearing on the election of the NCUI Chairman and Vice Chairman, who are elected by the newly constituted Governing Council. If the final composition of the Council depends on the sealed ballots, the election of the office-bearers may also have to await the Supreme Court’s directions.
