Deputy Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly, Jethabhai Bharwad, has been elected Chairman of NAFED unopposed. Karnataka Cooperator Siddappa Hotti and Punjab Markfed’s Tarlok Singh became two Vice-Chairmen.
Jethabhai Bharwad rose from police constable to become an MLA in Gujarat, winning the Shehera assembly seat of Panchmahal district for 6 consecutive terms from 1998 to 2022 with a huge majority. He is also chairman of Panchmahal Dairy as well as the Panchmahal District Co-operative (PDC) Bank.
Jethabhai Bharwad, as the Charman in NAFED, signifies an important powershift in the cooperative behemoth. His unopposed election to the post marks a notable milestone in his career and his deep-rooted clout in cooperative initiatives.
The NAFED board consists of 21 directors, of whom 15 were elected unopposed. Winners include outgoing Chairman Bijender Singh, Dr. Chandrapal Singh Yadav, NCCF Chairman Vishal Singh and Rajkot MP in the 17th Lok Sabha, Mohan Kundariya.
All directors cast their votes in Delhi, including the outgoing Rajkot MP Mohan Kundariya. Mohan Kundariya was initially seen as a contender for the chairmanship.
NAFED, established in 1958, plays a pivotal role in the agricultural economy of India. The federation works to promote cooperative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit farmers and consumers alike.
This year has its challenges for the BJP in the cooperative sector’s political arena. Earlier, the BJP faced an unexpected upset when Jayesh Radadiya, a BJP MLA from Dhoraji, comprehensively defeated the party-backed Bipin Patel in the IFFCO elections, going against the party diktat.
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