Niranjan Reddy sees conspiracy to weaken Cooperative Societies, demands elections to managing bodies

BRS leader S. Niranjan Reddy demanded immediate elections to cooperative societies in Telangana, alleging that the Congress government was planning to appoint nominated boards to avoid a farmers’ backlash. He warned against dissolving elected bodies and called the move undemocratic.

Hyderabad: Demanding immediate elections to the managing committees of cooperative societies in the state, BRS leader and former Minister, S Niranjan Reddy on Sunday claimed that the government is contemplating appointing nominated boards instead of holding fresh elections since the Congress Party leadership is apprehensive of a backlash from farmers if polls are conducted immediately.

He said any move to nominate managing committees to oversee the affairs of the cooperative societies will be “completely undemocratic”. He urged the government to resign immediately if it harbors such intentions.

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Linking the issue to recent rural polls, Reddy said the Congress government was “reeling” from the results of the gram panchayat elections, where it faced stiff competition.

He alleged that the ruling party is avoiding cooperative elections to prevent what could be a fitting “lesson” from angry farmers. The former minister also called for the appointment of special officers to oversee cooperative societies in the interim and reiterated the urgent need for conducting elections without further delay.

Bid for dissolution of existing managing committees in Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) and District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCBs), and replacing them with person-in-charge committees appointed for a period of six months or until elections are held would be opposed strongly, he warned.