The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched an ambitious campaign to reshape the co-operative sector, a stronghold traditionally held by the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra’s rural economy. Recognizing the pivotal role of the co-operative sector, the BJP aims to register women and youth, fostering economic empowerment and self-reliance in rural areas. The party plans to organize a co-operative conclave in the upcoming fortnight in the city.
The BJP’s objective is to establish 5,000 youth societies, engaging approximately 1.25 lakh youths, and 3,000 women co-operative societies, involving around 75,000 women. The party has already registered 1,250 women cooperative societies with 37,500 women actively participating.
While the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP have a presence in the co-operative sector through banking, the Congress and NCP still exert significant influence, particularly in areas such as sugar factories, district agricultural committees, and milk federations. Political analysts suggest that control over the co-operative sector often correlates with influencing voter behavior.
After Union Home Minister Amit Shah took over also as Cooperation Minister, it was decided to establish co-operative organizations in all states. Following the decision, the Maharashtra BJP recently organized a seminar to promote co-operative societies, particularly focusing on women’s participation across the state.
MLC Praveen Darekar, who has extensive experience running the Mumbai district co-operative bank, leads the BJP’s co-operative wing. He has been tasked with establishing women and youth co-operative organizations. Women’s co-operative service societies, each consisting of approximately 25 members out of which 11 member to work as directors. The BJP’s goal is to form 3,000 such women cooperative societies, directly connecting 75,000 women with the political economy. These societies will be offered contracts related to services and industrial production by the state government, providing financial empowerment to women and political advantages to the party.
The BJP also aspires to create 5,000 youth co-operative societies, linking over one lakh youths with the party throughout the state. Youth co-operatives will be eligible for various work contracts from state government and local bodies.
Praveen Darekar affirmed that the campaign aligns with the directives of Union Home and Co-operative Minister Amit Shah, with the goal of completing the organization formation targets before the Lok Sabha polls. He emphasized that the initiative would empower women in both urban and rural areas, facilitating the registration process and assisting in securing loans from banks. As of now, the party has registered around 1,250 women co-operative societies, with the remainder expected to be completed by March 2024.
