Former MP Sujay Vikhe casts his vote during the election on Monday
Out of 21 seats of directors on the board, 11 were secured uncontested prior to the polls. The ruling cooperative panel, led by district guardian minister Radhakrishna Vikhe and former minister Balasaheb Thorat, secured 10 of these uncontested seats. “A total of 27 candidates are in the fray for the 10 contested slots. A total of 3,809 voters out of 3,837 cast their votes on Monday. Returning officer Suravse ordered that a police complaint be lodged over a breach of voting secrecy at centre number 27 in Bhikaji Tukaram Meher Secondary School in Sangamner, as a video circulated on social media showing a voter revealing his ballot paper inside the booth.
Former MP Sujay Vikhe said voters support cooperation over party-level politics, prompting leaders Radhakrishna Vikhe, Balasaheb Thorat and NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap to form a consensus panel. Since people here support cooperation, you can see we joined hands to have a panel to evolve a consensus, and we believe we have been successful,” said Sujay Vikhe. The faction headed by Legislative Council Speaker Ram Shinde bagged one seat. “The voters have always refused party-level politics and instead supported people on the basis of their work. Another person allegedly recorded his act on a cellphone.
This early edge gave the Vikhe-Thorat alliance a decisive majority even before the polling for the remaining segments. Results will be declared on Tuesday,” said returning officer Mangesh Suravse, also the district deputy registrar of Ahilyanagar.
Suravse directed regional officer Santosh Kore and centre head Dilip Chature to submit an incident report and file an FIR against both individuals at the local police station for violating the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Election Rules 2014 and sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.