Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was elected on Saturday as the chairman of the Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill, located in Baramati, Maharashtra.
The Nilkantheshwar panel, which has the backing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, recently achieved a landslide victory in the sugar mill’s elections, securing 20 out of 21 seats.
“Today, Ajit Dada was elected as the chairman of the Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill. The decision was made at a meeting of the newly elected directors,” stated an NCP leader in Baramati.
However, Chandrarao Taware, the only director from the rival Sahakar Bachav panel who won his seat, has raised objections to Pawar’s election as chairman.
“I had voiced my objection well before his election as chairman,” Taware said. He explained, “Ajit Pawar won in the Group B category, which is for members who do not cultivate sugarcane. Someone can run for election and become a director from that category, but they cannot become the chairman. There is a ruling from the Aurangabad bench of the High Court on this matter.”
The elections at the sugar mill had become a significant event in Baramati, with Ajit Pawar actively campaigning and holding numerous rallies in six villages surrounding the Malegaon Cooperative Sugar Mill.
The election had transformed into a prestige battle between NCP chief Ajit Pawar and his estranged uncle, Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP (SP) faction. The Baliraja Sahakar panel, supported by the NCP (SP), finished in third place, failing to win a single seat.
