BJP undertakes campaign to register women and youth to make inroads in co-op sector

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai is aiming to break the dominance of the Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party in the co-operative sector by registering women and youth in co-operative societies. The BJP plans to create jobs for rural youths and women and make them self-reliant. The party aims to register 5,000 youth societies with 1.25 lakh youths and 3,000 women co-operative societies with 75,000 women. The move is seen as an attempt to gain control over the co-operative sector, which holds significant influence over the electorate.

Mumbai: With an aim to break the strongholds of Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the co-operative sector, which plays a big role in Maharashtra’s rural economy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has undertaken a campaign to register women and youth in the co-operative societies.

HT Image

BJP says this drive aims at creating jobs for youths and women, especially in the rural areas, and making them self-reliant. The party will organise a co-operative conclave in the coming fortnight in the city.

BJP aims to 5,000 youth societies with around 1.25 lakh youths and 3,000 woman co-operative societies with around 75,000 women. So far, the party registered 1,250 woman cooperative society with 37,500 women connected with it.

Though the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP have a presence in the co-operative sector through banking, it is the Congress and the NCP that still dominate the sector with maximum control over sugar factories, district agricultural committees, milk federations etc. Political experts say that parties that control the co-operative sector largely control the manner in which the respective electorate votes.

After the union home minister Amit Shah took charge of the co-operative ministry in the union government, he ordered the establishment of co-operative organisations in all states. Accordingly, a few months ago the Maharashtra BJP organised a seminar for women to promote the co-operative societies across the state.

MLC Praveen Darekar who runs the Mumbai district co-operative bank for years, is also the chief of BJP’s co-operative wing and was assigned with the task of looking into setting up women and youth co-operative organisations.

Every women’s co-operative service society has around 25 members and 11 of them will work as directors. BJP has set the aim to form such 3,000 women cooperative societies, which means 75,000 women across the state will directly connect with this political economy. They will be given the contracts related to services, industrial production etc. by the state government.

This will empower the women associated with the co-operative societies financially and will deliver political benefits to the party. While forming the new co-operative societies women associated with BJP and various organisations in RSS Parivar have been given priority. Similarly, the BJP has kept the target to form 5,000 youth co-operative societies which will connect over one lakh youths with the party across the state. Youth co-operatives will also get various work contracts from state government and local bodies.

Praveen Darekar said that the party is running the campaign to set up women and youth co-operatives as per directions of union home and co-operative minister Amit Shah and the target regarding the formation of organisations will be completed before Lok Sabha polls.

“Such women co-operatives will empower the women in urban as well as rural areas. We are helping in the registration process and will also help in getting loans from banks. Out of the target of 3,000 women co-operatives party has so far registered around 1,250 societies and the rest will be completed by March 2024. Similarly for party wants to form youth co-operatives as many youths who want employment are not aware of the power of the co-operative sector. We have set up the target of registration of 5,000 youth co-operatives by March end. We are going to organise the state-level co-operative conclave in 15 days in Mumbai.” said Darekar.

Darekar added that Chitra Wagh, state president- of BJP Maharashtra Mahila Morcha is monitoring the registration of women co-operative societies.

Chitra Wagh said that while forming the woman cooperative society party has ensured that every tehsil of Maharashtra will be covered in it. “While forming the woman cooperative service societies we have ensured that it will cover every tehsil in it and it will be mandatory for that society to work in their respective tehsil only. Besides that women from all communities like tribals, OBCs, SCs, minority have connected with us. We have separately registered the co-operatives for Below Poverty Line women.” said Chitra Wagh.