Cooperative Election Authority Holds First Consultative Meeting with States to Strengthen Transparency in Cooperative Polls
CEA Chairperson Devendra Kumar Singh, Vice Chairperson RK Gupta and Cooperative Ombudsman Alok Agarwal during the consultative meeting with State Cooperative Election Authorities in New Delhi on Monday
New Delhi, August 12: The Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) today convened its first consultative meeting with State Cooperative Election Authorities in New Delhi to develop a structured dialogue mechanism aimed at ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections in cooperative bodies across the country.
Chaired by CEA Chairperson Devendra Kumar Singh, the meeting was attended by State Election Commissioners from Odisha, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Maharashtra, along with CEA Vice Chairperson RK Gupta, Cooperative Ombudsman Alok Agarwal, and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation Anand Kumar Jha.
Singh said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, several reforms have been introduced to make the cooperative sector more vibrant, including the establishment of the CEA in March 2024 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act. Since its inception, the CEA has conducted 159 cooperative elections and is in the process of holding 69 more.
The discussions covered the framing of a code of conduct for contesting candidates in Multi-State Cooperative Societies, setting expenditure limits, publishing a handbook for Returning Officers, and regulating the election of delegates from member societies to national cooperatives. States also proposed introducing electronic voting machines in cooperative polls.
Other agenda items included rules on members’ share capital, allocation of election symbols, and the use of indelible ink. Singh emphasised the need for standardised election manuals and codes of conduct to streamline processes and reinforce credibility.
The CEA announced that consultative meetings with state counterparts will now be held every three months to advance cooperative election reforms.
Participants included Odisha State Cooperative Election Commissioner Srikanta Prusty; Bihar’s Girish Shankar and Advisor Kumar Shant Rakshit; Tamil Nadu Commissioner Dayanand Kataria; Maharashtra’s Anil Mahadeo Kawade and Secretary Ashok Gade; and Telangana Commissioner G. Shrivinas Rao.
