State cooperative election authorities suggest the use of EVMs in cooperative society elections
The Cooperative Election Authority held its first consultative meeting with the State Cooperative Election Authorities (SCEA) on Monday (August 11, 2025) to develop a mechanism to conduct elections in the sector in a free and fair manner.
The meeting was chaired by Devendra Kumar Singh, Chairperson, Cooperative Election Authority, and attended by State Cooperative Election Commissioners from Odisha, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
'The Cooperative Election Authority has so far conducted 159 elections since March 2024 and is in the process of conducting 69 more elections,' Mr. Singh said.
The Cooperative Election Authority was notified on March 11, 2024, in exercise of the Union government's powers conferred by Section 45 of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act of 2002, and its amendment of 2023.
'The election process in cooperative societies need to be streamlined to foster transparency,' Mr. Singh said.
'There is a need for standard manuals and codes of conduct for cooperative elections,' members of the State Cooperative Election Authorities said.
The discussion included matters relating to the framing of the Code of Conduct for contesting candidates, and for Multi-State Cooperative Societies; fixing the upper limit of expenditure for contesting candidates; publication of a handbook for Returning Officers; election of delegates from member cooperative societies, who are members in national cooperative societies; and other agendas received from States. One of the agenda items proposed by participating State Cooperative Election Authorities included the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines in cooperative elections, the Cooperation Ministry said.
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