BJP's Grip on Gujarat Sugar Cooperatives Weakens Amid Political Interference Claims

3:13 AM ETDeveloping

Health Desk

In Short: In Gujarat, the BJP's control over sugar cooperatives is facing challenges, with recent elections seeing a rise in political interference and the loss of key positions to rebel candidates.

Former Surat District Panchayat president Bhavesh Patel said the results of recent sugar cooperative elections reflected growing political interference in these bodies, according to reports in The Indian Express.

I have been vice-chairman for the last two terms in Bardoli Sugar, and this is the first time Parivartan Panel candidates (BJP rebel and Congress candidates) won with majority,' Patel told The Indian Express.

The BJP is taking political advantage of the strong presence of sugar bodies among farmers in the district, according to Patel, who added that the mandate procedure was introduced to control party rebel leaders.

At Pandvai Sugar Cooperative in Bharuch, the BJP-backed Sahkar Panel effectively secured the board after 14 Parivartan candidates and an Independent withdrew on the final day of nominations.

The BJP had dominated the boards of the state’s 13 operational cooperative sugar factories for at least a decade, but recent elections saw losses to rival panels, including at Bardoli Sugar, one of the largest cooperative sugar factories in Asia.

What's still developing

The BJP appears to be facing resistance to the growing “politicisation” of Gujarat’s sugar cooperative sector, with party-backed panels losing ground in recent elections and rebels challenging the official candidates.
In two of the six cooperatives that went to the polls, BJP-backed panels lost to rival panels that included BJP rebels.
The biggest setback came at the Shree Khedut Sahakari Khand Udyog Mandli Ltd, popularly known as Bardoli Sugar, where a farmers’ panel ended the BJP’s 20-year hold over the cooperative.

Sources

The Indian Expresslink