“It is a jantantra (democracy) and everybody has right to contest election and I cannot do anything”, said Mudit Verma”, the outgoing Governing Council member of the apex body NCUI who is pitted against more than 100 candidates this time.
The constituency titled “ Any other State Co-op Federation or Multi state cooperative society”—has the highest number of contestants with many nursing the ambition of making it to the highest decision-making body the NCUI.
If Sunil Singh, the Chairman of Biscomaun who has recently became a close aide to Chandra Pal Singh has hopes of making it this time, Pramod Kumar Singh, the well-known cooperator from Uttrakhand is yet another powerful contestant Mudit Verma will have to take on.
”The problem of cooperative is that nobody says “no”. When I meet the prospective delegates they assure me of total cooperation and support but I would be able to know only after election the truth”, said Mr Verma talking to Indian Cooperative on phone from Lucknow.
Sunil Singh who is fighting from the same constituency sounded pretty confident of his victory. “My defeat would mean the defeat of Chandra Pal bhaiyya and Bijender Bhaiyya, he said in a Bihari flavoured Hindi ”. The duo NCUI President Chandra Pal Singh Yadav and the recently elected NCCF Chairman Bijender Singh are seen as movers and shakers to the election.
Pramod Kumar Singh is no less a strong candidate from Uttrakhand. He is both on the IFFCO Board as well as the Chairman of the State Co-operative Union. Somewhat unwilling to give information about his game-plan, he asked this reporter to wait and watch. He is also said to be close to the outgoing NCUI President Chandra Pal Singh.
What was obvious was the predicament of Dr Chandra Pal Singh who has to do a balancing act of keeping everyone together. Obviously, he cannot make everyone happy.
On another front, he himself is locked in a contest facing a serious challenge to retain his Presidentship, though everyone is tight-lipped so far.
The final list of eligible voters would come tomorrow (Thursday) and the canvassing could be at fever pitch thereafter. The election is scheduled for March 16.
