Ajit Pawar back in sugar mill poll fray after four decades, faces triangular contest in Baramati

Hindustan Times

21 hours ago

For the first time since 1984, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has entered the race for a cooperative sugar mill election. Pawar is among the 90 contestants in the Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill polls in Baramati, set to take place on June 22, with the counting scheduled on the next day.
Pawar's last electoral involvement in the cooperative sugar sector was over four decades ago when he was elected to the board of the Chhatrapati Cooperative Sugar Mill. His renewed participation marks a significant political moment for the region, where sugar cooperatives continue to play a crucial role in local politics and economics.
The election is for the 21-member board of directors at the Malegaon mill, which is currently controlled by the Nilkantheshwar Panel, backed by Ajit Pawar. The same panel secured victory in 2019 by defeating the Sahakar Bachav Panel led by Chandrarao Tawre. Tawre, a seasoned cooperative sector figure, was once close to Sharad Pawar but later parted ways.
This time, the contest has become triangular with the entry of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), which has floated the 'Baliraja Sahakar Bachav' panel to challenge the existing power structure at the mill.
Election officer Yashwant Mane informed that out of 593 nomination forms filed, 503 were deemed valid after scrutiny. Following the withdrawal of 412 nominations, a total of 90 candidates remain in the fray.
The electorate comprises 19,549 voters from Group A — mainly sugarcane cultivators — and 102 voters from Group B, which includes representatives of cooperative institutions associated with the mill. Ajit Pawar has filed his nomination from Group B.
According to a senior functionary of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the deputy chief minister entered the race to counter claims of irregularities in the sugar mill's functioning.
'Opposition panels have been levelling allegations of mismanagement. To counter these claims and reassure stakeholders, Pawar decided to contest himself. His involvement will signal accountability and ensure faster decision-making,' the functionary said.
He added that the Pawar-led faction had attempted to arrive at a consensus and avoid a contest but their overtures were rejected by rivals.
The upcoming election is particularly significant as it pits the two rival NCP factions against each other for the first time in the cooperative sector, following the party's split.
Yugendra Pawar, Ajit Pawar's nephew and a member of the rival NCP (SP), said their panel was formed to address farmers' grievances.
'Mill management has failed to provide a fair price to sugarcane growers. Worker recruitment is not based on merit. Our panel consists of ordinary cultivators, unlike other panels dominated by politically connected individuals,' said Yugendra.
He also alleged that some current board members are not even farmers but contractors, and vowed to restore transparency and fairness if his panel is elected.