Kolhapur: As many as 43 candidates are in the fray across two rival panels for the prestigious Yashwantrao Mohite Krishna Cooperative Sugar Factory, located at Rethre Budruk near Karad in Satara district. The election is scheduled for June 21, marking a significant event in the cooperative sector.
Contest Narrows to Two Main Panels
The contest has narrowed down to two main panels after a large number of nominations were withdrawn. One panel is led by incumbent chairman Suresh Bhosale and his son, BJP MLA Atul Bhosale. The other panel is headed by Avinash Mohite. Tuesday was the last day for withdrawal of nominations, with 139 candidates initially filing nominations. Of these, 86 candidates withdrew, leaving 43 candidates still in the race.
Significance of the Election
The sugar factory, spread across Satara and Sangli districts along the Krishna river basin, has around 47,000 farmer-members who elect the governing body once every five years. This makes the polls a crucial event in the cooperative sector. In the previous election held in 2021, three panels had contested, with the Bhosale-led panel sweeping all 21 seats. Suresh Bhosale was subsequently elected chairman by the directors.
Direct Contest Between Traditional Rivals
The upcoming election is expected to witness a direct contest between the Bhosale and Mohite camps, both of whom are actively reaching out to key functionaries and voter blocs in Karad, Walva, and Palus-Kadegaon tehsils. While political alignments remain fluid, NCP (SP) MLA Jayant Patil has not publicly declared support for any panel. Meanwhile, Mohite camp functionaries claim to have backing from Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam following recent meetings.
The election is anticipated to be closely watched, as it will determine the leadership of one of the region's major cooperative institutions. Both panels are intensifying their campaigns to secure support from the farmer-members.
