Co-operators connected to Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal have swept the elections of apex cooperative societies of the state which were held recently. In the elections, BJP and Congress which had also fielded their candidates, came a cropper as only a few of them could win.
The elections of the state level apex bodies, which were going on from last few months, concluded with the elections of President and the Vice-President. The newly elected Presidents of apex cooperative bodies met the State Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday at his residence.
One of the participants and former Chairperson of OTDC Shreemayee Mishra wrote on his facebook wall, “Congratulations to all newly elected presidents of Apex cooperative societies, Odisha. Biju Janata Dal-supported candidates won all 15 major apex cooperative societies in the state. About 33% women got elected as Presidents, which is the first of its kind. This is the vision and commitment for women reservations of our leader Shree Naveen Patnaik”.
It bears recalling that the election process of cooperatives from primary to district to state level has been going on for more than nine months. There are more than 6000 primary cooperative societies, 127 central co-op and 19 apex societies in Odisha.
If Prasad Dora has been elected as the President of Odisha State Cooperative Bank then Kabita Manjari Parida is the new head of Odisha State Cooperative Marketing Federation (OSCMF).
Similarly, Biswaranjan Mohanty and Pratap Chandra Dhal have been elected as the President of Odisha State Cooperative Housing Corporation and Odisha Consumer Cooperative Federation respectively.
Besides, Bhagirathi Nanda is the new President of Odisha Cooperative Tassar and Silk Federation and Sasmita Rout has been elected as the President of Odisha Fisheries Cooperative Corporation (FISHFED).
Bhoeswar Swain and Kishore Chandra Pradhani have been elected to Odisha State Poultry Products Cooperative Marketing Federation and Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation respectively.
Chameli Oram is the new head of Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha whereas Ashish Kumar Mohanty is the new President of Odisha SC and ST Development Finance Cooperative Corporation.
It bears recalling that the term of the board of directors in the majority of state level co-ops ended in 2020 and for about three years the Administrator has been regulating these cooperative bodies.
Meanwhile, New Indian Express reports “the ruling BJD is sweeping the polls for the president of apex cooperative societies in Odisha. The party has won all 15 posts of president in the societies.
BJP and Congress candidates were in the fray but could not win a single seat. Sources say many people belonging to the opposition Congress and the BJP ditched their parties at the last moment.
The story of the ruling party exercising absolute control over the co-op bodies of the state is not new. In UP, the other day we reported how BJP-connected co-operators won all the seats and now a similar story is repeated in Odisha. It is not a good sign for the co-op movement, experts say.
