The District Central Cooperative Bank’s director elections in Belagavi saw a partial declaration of results this past Sunday. The Returning Officer confirmed the victories for three out of seven contested director posts.
Among the successful candidates, MLA Laxman Savadi secured his position from Athani, while Appasaheb Kulagode emerged victorious from Raibag, and Mallappa Yadawad won the seat representing Ramdurg.
These initial results show a clear alignment, with Mr. Savadi and Mr. Yadwad being identified as members of the Katti-Savadi panel, and Mr. Kulagode affiliated with the Jolle-Jarkiholi panel, reflecting the political dynamics at play.
Despite the declared results, the announcement for four remaining seats has been temporarily withheld due to a directive from the High Court of Karnataka in Dharwad. Officials have indicated that the complete and final results will be released on October 28, pending the court’s order.
The bank’s board consists of 20 directors in total, with 16 of these positions being elective. Interestingly, nine candidates had already secured their directorships unopposed before the contested elections took place.
The eagerly watched vote counting for the seven contested positions was conducted on Sunday at the BK Model High School premises, drawing significant public and political interest.
The Jolle-Jarkiholi panel has proudly asserted that all nine candidates who won uncontested were indeed their members, strengthening their initial standing.
Conversely, while the Katti-Savadi panel has not disputed these unanimous victories, they remain optimistic and maintain that the next president of the bank will be selected from their faction.
Following the conclusion of the vote counting, Minister Satish Jarkiholi, alongside fellow panel members Balachandra Jarkiholi, Vishwas Vaidya, Arvind Patil, and Rahul Jarkiholi, addressed the media in Belagavi.
Minister Satish Jarkiholi expressed his hope that the intense political rivalries observed during the campaign would now subside, fostering a harmonious and efficient administration within the bank going forward.
Echoing previous statements, Balachandra Jarkiholi reiterated his commitment to ensuring that a respected Lingayat leader would be elected as the bank’s president.
He also announced that the bank is preparing to celebrate its centenary in Belagavi in the coming months, a significant milestone for the cooperative institution.