So far as control over apex bodies of cooperatives at state level in Uttar Pradesh is concerned, there is bad news for both Samajwadi Party and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) led by Shivpal Singh Yadav.
BJP has already won majority seats at district level, amid changes and counter charges of unfair means and partiality employed in a large-scale. There are also hundreds of court cases related to these elections, reported widely in these columns earleir.
Now the game is focussed on capturing state apex co-op bodies.
BJP leaders including its General Secretaries Sunil Bansal and Vidyasagar Sonkar, state President Swatantra Dev Singh, Cooperative Minister
and other party officials are busy devising a strategy to capture top UP co-operative bodies in the coming elections, said a source.
This may mean Aditya Yadav losing his place both as Chairman of Pradeshik Cooperative Federation and subsequently his Board membership of co-op titan, IFFCO. Sadly, it may also mean India losing a seat on international body ICA, as Junior Yadav is on ICA board representing not only IFFCO but also the country.
Sources say that the state BJP leadership was soft towards Shiv Pal till the Lok Sabha elections following a strategy to weaken Samajwadi Party. “He and his son felt safe earlier but so is not the case now with a resurgent BJP eager to occupy top posts”, quipped an insider.
It bears recall that PSPL leader Shivpal Singh Yadav has retained his influence over cooperatives. Currently, he is the chairman of Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Rural Development Bank Limited and his son Aditya Yadav the chairman of the Pradeshik Cooperative Federation.
The elections are likely to be held in September and the BJP is intending to capture all 7,500 cooperatives in the state. The leaders recently called a meeting of cooperators in this regard and sources say BJP supporters are focused on strengthening cooperatives in the state.
Keeping this aim in mind, the party has prepared “Mission 7500” which means winning all the seats of 7500 cooperative societies in the state. Over one crore people are the members of these societies.
It is to be noted that UP Cooperative Federation Limited, UP Cooperative Bank Limited, UP Cooperative Rural Development Bank, UP State Construction Cooperative Union, UP State Construction and Labor Development Cooperative Union, UP State Consumer Cooperative Union Limited, UP Jute Cooperative Union Limited, UP Cooperative Union Limited constitute the highest cooperative body in the state.
It is often said cooperatives are for farmers, laborers and the poor people but actually the parties are always out to use them as a tool for winning elections.