Someshwar sugar mill poll: Sunetra Pawar's panel wins all 21 seats in Baramati
Representative image: sarangib / Pixabay
Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar's panel won all 21 seats in the Someshwar cooperative sugar factory election near Baramati, where 84.25% of 27,625 members voted.
What Happened
A panel led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and named after the late Ajit Pawar won all 21 seats on the board of the Someshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory near Baramati in Pune district, according to results declared this week. The rival panel backed by Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), led on the ground by Yugendra Pawar, did not win a seat and finished third. A panel led by former chairman Purushottam Jagtap, who had BJP support, was also defeated, reportedly by a margin of 6,464 votes. Turnout was high: 23,393 of the factory's 27,625 members voted, or 84.25%. Sunetra Pawar credited the result to Ajit Pawar's decades of work for the factory.
Key Facts
- The Sunetra Pawar-led panel won all 21 board seats at the Someshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory.
- 23,393 of 27,625 members voted, a turnout of 84.25%.
- The NCP (SP) panel backed by Sharad Pawar, with Yugendra Pawar leading its campaign, won no seats and came third.
- Former chairman Purushottam Jagtap, backed by the BJP, lost, reportedly by 6,464 votes.
- Jay Pawar and the winning candidates paid tribute to Ajit Pawar at his memorial in Baramati and dedicated the win to him.
- Sunetra Pawar said Ajit Pawar had worked for the factory's development for more than three decades; reports quote both 34 and 35 years.
Why It Matters
Cooperative sugar factories are the backbone of the rural economy in western Maharashtra. They are owned by cane-growing farmers who are their members, and the board decides how much farmers are paid for their cane, how the mill is run and how its profits are used. A board election is therefore about money in farmers' pockets as much as about politics.
That is why control of these boards has long been a measure of political strength in the sugar belt. Someshwar sits in Baramati, the home ground of the Pawar family, and the contest pitted rival branches of the family and their parties against each other. A clean sweep with very high turnout shows that the late Ajit Pawar's network among cane farmers remains strong under Sunetra Pawar's leadership, and it is a setback for the NCP (SP) in Baramati.
For the factory's members, the new board's first test will be the coming crushing season. Farmers will watch how quickly the mill pays for cane delivered and at what rate, at a time when sugar prices are high in the festive season and the Centre has tightened controls on sugar sales and stocks.
| Panel | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunetra Pawar-led panel | All 21 seats |
| Purushottam Jagtap-led panel (BJP-backed) | No seats |
| NCP (SP) panel (Sharad Pawar-backed) | No seats, third |
Impact
Short-term: The new board takes charge ahead of the crushing season and will set cane payment and operating plans for the year.
Long-term: The result strengthens Sunetra Pawar's hold on the cooperative network in Baramati, which matters for future local and state elections in the region.
Who is affected: The factory's 27,625 member farmers, cane growers in the Baramati area, workers at the mill, and the rival NCP factions and the BJP.
Key Takeaway
With all 21 seats and 84% turnout, the Ajit Pawar-named panel led by Sunetra Pawar has kept firm control of the Someshwar sugar cooperative and its farmer members.
Questions and Answers
Who won the Someshwar sugar factory election?
The panel led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and named after the late Ajit Pawar won all 21 seats, according to results declared this week.
How many members voted in the Someshwar election?
23,393 of the factory's 27,625 members voted, a turnout of 84.25%.
How did Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) panel do?
It won no seats and finished third. Its campaign was led on the ground by Yugendra Pawar.
Why do sugar cooperative elections matter?
The board, elected by farmer members, decides how the mill is run and how much farmers are paid for their cane, so it directly affects rural incomes in Maharashtra's sugar belt.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
