In a moment of pride for India and the global cooperative fraternity, veteran Indian cooperator Dr. Chandra Pal Singh Yadav has been re-elected unopposed as the President of the International Cooperative Alliance–Asia Pacific (ICA-AP). The elections for the President, Vice-Presidents, and Board Members were held on Thursday during the Regional Assembly in Colombo.
Meanwhile, Adili Wubuli (China) and Datuk Seri Dr. Abdul Fattah Abdullah (Malaysia) were also elected as the two Vice-Presidents of ICA-AP. They edged out Abdelfattah M. Q. Al-Shalabi (Jordan), who lost the Vice-President election.
According to the election process, the Board of Directors is elected first, followed by the election of the President, Vice-President, and other office-bearers. For the 11 seats on the ICA-AP Board, 12 candidates had filed nominations.
Soon after the announcement, while speaking to the Indian Cooperative from Colombo, Dr. Yadav thanked all
member countries for their overwhelming support.
“I am deeply humbled by this unanimous mandate. It reflects the trust of the entire Asia-Pacific cooperative community. I assure every member nation that I will work with renewed energy to strengthen cooperative ties across the region,” he said.
He added that building an enabling legal, policy, and regulatory ecosystem across countries would remain one of his top priorities. “Cooperatives thrive where democratic values, autonomy and transparency are protected. I will work hand-in-hand with governments, federations and grassroots institutions to safeguard these principles,” he noted.
“This victory is not mine alone-this is the victory of every small farmer, worker, artisan and grassroots cooperator who believes in the power of unity. The Asia-Pacific region has immense potential, and together we will unlock it.”
Indian leaders present in Colombo congratulated Dr. Yadav on his impressive victory. Many described his unopposed election as a “historic reaffirmation” of India’s leadership in the global cooperative arena.
Dr. Yadav’s journey is an inspiring one. A grassroots leader who began his cooperative career in Jhansi, he
has steadily risen to become one of the most respected cooperative statesmen in Asia.
Chandra Pal’s friendly and inclusive personality has earned him goodwill across political lines. Born on 19 March 1959 in Jalaun district, Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Yadav comes from a family of freedom fighters and agriculturists. He holds M.Sc., B.Ed., L.L.B., and Ph.D. degrees.
He has served in several top-level positions, Former Chairman of KRIBHCO and its subsidiaries, Former President of NCUI, Vice Chairperson of ICA-AP (2010–2021), Member, International Raiffeisen Union (IRU), Germany, Board member of NCCF, NAFED, and several national institutions. He was a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)
With his re-election, the Asia-Pacific cooperative community expects a renewed push for capacity-building, regional collaboration, and modernization of cooperatives.
Indian Cooperative joins the global cooperative fraternity in wishing Dr. Chandra Pal Singh Yadav a successful and fruitful term as ICA-AP President.
More and more congratulations Dr. C P Singh Yadav for new Asia pacific position unanimously won.