In a development that may have wide ranging ramifications Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, President of National Cooperative Union of India lost the case of his election in the court of the government appointed Arbitrator. The arbitrator has set aside his election as President of NCUI.
The matter was pending in the court of arbitrator Manjhi for quite some time and a decision was expected on 15 March. Dealing a body blow to beleaguered Chandra Pal after his defeat in the Jhansi elction , the setting aside of his election has pushed the apex cooperative organization into a leaderless situation.
Talking to Indiancooperative.com the petitioner Rajendra Sharma said “ I have been intimated by the Arbitrator office that Chandra Pal Singh’s election has been set aside.” Mr Sharma is a journalist and stays in Himachal Pradesh.
When Indiancooperative.com contacted Shri Chandra Pal Singh he feigned ignorance of the development. “I have not been intimated and I have no idea. I would react once the matter comes to my notice from an authentic source”, he said.
Indiancooperative.com has, meanwhile gathered that confabulations have already begun in the high echelons of power in NCUI and a way out of the crisis situation is being frenetically worked out.
According to sources Chandra Pal is entertaining the idea of appealing the decision in the high court. “Arbitrator is not the final court and we would approach high court against this decision”, said one of his confidants on condition of anonymity.
According to experts of the multi- state cooperative act 2002, Agricultural Ministry may demand President’s resignation in the light of the judgement and may appoint an administrator till re-election of the new president takes place.
The petitioner had challenged the election on the basis of Chandra Pal Singh being a nominated member from a contributor society. Only they who are elected and not nominated members could contest for Presidentship of NCUI,says the MSCS-2002 act.
Sources close to the President of NCUI confide that Chandrapal has, however strong case in the high court. “The applicant was not an affected party and his petition has no locus standi”, they argue. We were not given chance to reply to some last-minute evidences submitted by the applicant, they argued further.
Air-dashing from Lucknow where he had gone for participating in the oath-taking ceremony of Akhilesh Yadav, Chandra Pal is confabulating with friends and advocates to wriggle out of this crisis.