Pune, Oct 13 The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Tuesday won all 21 seats in the election to the Someshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory in Pune district, defeating rival panels backed by the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and rebel candidate Purushottam Jagtap.
The election was the first major cooperative sector contest following the death of NCP president Ajit Pawar, and was seen as a test of Sunetra Pawar’s leadership.
The NCP-backed Shri Someshwar Vikas Purush Ajitdada Pawar panel, the NCP (SP)-backed Someshwar Shetkari Vikas panel and Jagtap’s Loknete Ajitdada Someshwar Vikas panel, which was supported by the BJP, were in the fray.
Of the factory’s 27,625 members, 23,393 cast their votes, recording a turnout of 84.25 per cent. Candidates from Sunetra Pawar’s panel secured more than 12,000 votes each, while those backed by Jagtap received an average of 5,500 to 6,000 votes. The NCP (SP) candidates polled around 2,500 votes on average.
Jagtap, who served as the factory’s chairman for 13 years, had rebelled against the NCP to field a separate panel with BJP support.
The NCP (SP) campaign was led by Yugendra Pawar. Party chief Sharad Pawar toured drought-affected areas in the factory’s operational region during the campaign.
“This victory is the result of the work (Ajit) Dada has done over the years. The farmers here have honoured his efforts by extending their support,” Sunetra Pawar said.
(PTI News)
