It was for the first time that the ruling party BJP threw its weight in a decisive manner behind a cooperative election making it pretty tough for the ruling clique to reclaim leadership of National Cooperative Housing Federation of India (NCHF).
”I have never seen co-operative elections being fought with such seriousness,” said Mr Satyanarayan Sharma, who won facing stiff opposition from the ruling party. He has been elected Chairman of the National Cooperative Housing Federation of India (NCHF) for the second term.
In the 21 member Board while S N Sharma got 12 votes, BJP nominee R K Pikle bagged 9. Neelesh Solanki , a cooperator from Gujarat who was earlier billed as the BJP candidate for Chairmanship could not win Director’s elections thereby paving the way for Pikle.
Mr H T Somshekhar and Mr Rajendra Gaigola have been elected vice-chairmen of the apex body.
“Besides, the government insisted and got away with two government nominees for the first time in the history of NCHF. Not only that, they even accorded voting rights to the nominees despite our severe opposition”, said Sharma to Indian Cooperative.
”What can we do; Returning Officer agreed as letter of Central Registrar clearly instructed voting rights for the 
government nominees”, said Sharma describing the Election Day drama. BJP leaders Kuljeet Singh Chahal and Balbir Singh have been inducted as the government nominees.
Chahal is a State Secretary of BJP Delhi and a social activist. He is a popular youth leader raring to take on the established leadership of the cooperative sector, said an insider.
”Earlier, govt officials used to be nominated but this time they chose politicians,” Sharma said underlining the difference in the styles of working between Congress and BJP.
On the day of election all the top leaders of NCUI including Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, Bijender Singh, Promod Kumar Singh and others were at the NCUI headquarters contemplating the ways to checkmate the government move.
”But govt had its way by hook or crook. It left a taste of the times to come especially when the ruling party found itself completely marginalized in the NCUI election,” quipped a cooperator. Ashok Dabas is also said to have played an important role in advancing the government aim.
The NCHF is the apex organization of the entire cooperative housing movement in the country. It has been engaged in promoting, developing and coordinating the activities of housing cooperatives since its inception in the year 1969.
