PANAJI
Over two weeks after the elections for the Board of Directors of the State’s apex Cooperative Bank — The Goa State Cooperative Bank — concluded, the race for its leadership is hotting up with one nomination each filed for the posts of chairman and vice-chairman.
Official sources said one nomination has been received from Pandurang Kurtikar for the post of chairman and another from Krishna Kudnekar for the post of vice-chairman.
Kurtikar, who was declared elected as a director from the individual shareholders’ constituency and is said to be a confidant of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, is expected to be elected, possibly unopposed.
He hails from Kothambi-Pale, which is in Sawant’s Sanquelim constituency. Sawant had also cast his vote in the election.
“In all likelihood, no other application will be filed for the top position by the last date and he will be elected unopposed,” another director-elect, who did not wish to be identified, said.
Kurtikar was elected by a huge margin, polling 1,202 votes, while his rival secured only 152 votes. He has extensive experience in the cooperative field and has also served a five-year term as vice-chairman of the Bank. He also worked as the Chairman of the ‘ECGL/BBD Employees Cooperative Credit Society’ for nearly 20 years.
Meanwhile, at the elections to the GSCB Board of Directors, candidates known to be aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious.
Also tasting defeat was former minister Prakash Velip, who had fallen out of favour with the current dispensation following the upheaval in the Scheduled Tribe community after the sacking of Govind Gaude from the State Cabinet. Velip lost to Shrikant Naik in the constituency of Consumer Cooperative Societies.
Four directors were elected unopposed and, for the first time, there were no formal panels of candidates vying for the posts of directors. However, during the run-up to the election, pro-BJP and pro-government candidates reportedly canvassed as a team among the eligible voters.
The leadership of the bank is considered politically prestigious. In the outgoing board, Ulhas Phaldesai served as chairman. He is the brother of Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai. He did not contest again, citing personal business exigencies.
Decades ago, when control of the bank was being bitterly fought, the bank was ruled for one term by a serving cabinet minister, the late Somnath Zuwarkar.
