Pune: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, has defeated rival panels backed by the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and a rebel candidate in the election to the Someshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory in Pune district.
The poll was the first major contest in the cooperative sector since the death of NCP president Ajit Pawar and was widely seen as a test of Sunetra Pawar's leadership. Her panel swept all 21 seats in the election, the results of which were declared on Tuesday.
Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar's uncle, had campaigned in drought-hit areas within the factory region, but the panel backed by his party suffered defeat and finished third.
The factory, located in the Baramati region, the Pawar family's stronghold, had earlier been controlled by the Ajit Pawar-backed panel.
After the results were declared on Tuesday, Sunetra Pawar said, "This victory is the result of the work (Ajit) Dada has done over the years. The farmers here have honoured his efforts by extending their support."
The NCP-backed Shri Someshwar Vikas Purush Ajitdada Pawar panel, the NCP (SP)-backed Someshwar Shetkari Vikas panel and Purushottam Jagtap's Loknete Ajitdada Someshwar Vikas panel, which was supported by the BJP, were in the fray.
Of the factory's 27,625 members, 23,393 cast their votes, recording a turnout of 84.25 per cent.
Candidates from Sunetra Pawar's panel secured more than 12,000 votes each, while those backed by Jagtap received an average of 5,500 to 6,000 votes. The NCP (SP) candidates polled around 2,500 votes on average.
Jagtap, who served as the factory's chairman for 13 years, rebelled against the NCP to field a separate panel with BJP's support.
The NCP (SP) campaign was led by Yugendra Pawar, son of Ajit Pawar's younger brother and grandnephew of Sharad Pawar. Party chief Sharad Pawar toured drought-affected areas in the factory's operational region during the campaign.
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