The Maharashtra government has announced the postponement of elections for over 35,000 cooperative institutions, pushing the date to December 31, 2024. This decision is in response to the upcoming state assembly elections, which require significant logistical and administrative focus.
Initially, the elections for 29,443 cooperative societies were set to resume on October 1, 2024, after previous delays, but the timeline has been extended to accommodate election preparations.
The state’s cooperative sector is integral to its political and economic framework. It includes sugar cooperatives, spinning mills, processing societies, and various urban and rural cooperative banks. These institutions not only drive economic activities but also have deep political connections, with many leaders having vested interests in their management.
The elections for these bodies, particularly Class A and B societies, follow the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Election Rules, 2014, while Class C societies hold elections at the taluka or ward level.
The government’s decision stems from concerns over political leaders juggling the cooperative elections while preparing for the assembly polls. The sheer scale of groundwork required for both sets of elections made it impractical to proceed simultaneously.
Although elections were due for 29,429 cooperatives in this financial year, only around 7,000 were underway. The remaining elections will be deferred, except for some key categories.
Exemptions from the delay include cooperative housing societies with fewer than 250 members and institutions where chairperson and vice-chairperson elections are pending. These will proceed, as will those governed by specific court orders from the Supreme Court and High Courts.
The state government justified the postponement by citing the need for substantial manpower for the assembly elections, with officials from the cooperative department being reassigned. Interestingly, this is the second postponement.