Staunch RSS worker Dineshbhai Pathak has been unanimously elected as the Chairman of Gujarat based Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank, with Jivanbhai Patel chosen as the Vice-Chairman.
The election was held on Saturday at the bank’s headquarters. Pathak’s candidature was proposed by Devangbhai Mankad and seconded by Chandreshbhai Dholakia, while Patel’s name was proposed by Madhavbhai Dave and seconded by Ashok Gandhi.
Pathak, a former senior branch manager at National Insurance Company, served as a co-opted director of the bank in 2021. Meanwhile, Patel, a prominent businessman associated with the Galaxy Group, served as a bank director from 2004 to 2022.
It bears recalling that the election underscored the decisive victory of the Sahakar Panel over the rival Sanskar Panel, led by outgoing director Kalpakbhai Maniar.
None of the Sanskar Panel candidates secured more than 40 votes, while the Sahakar Panel members received over 150 votes each, demonstrating their overwhelming support.
Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank has shown robust financial performance, surpassing a business mix of Rs 10,000 crore and achieving a profit of Rs 133.67 crore in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
With a deposit base of Rs 5,139 crore, the bank has expanded operations beyond Saurashtra and continues to benefit from the support of prominent BJP and RSS leaders.
The veteran cooperator Jyotindra Mehta, who heads the Umbrella Organization, has been associated with the Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank for many years.