Padalkar wins Jat seat in Sangli district bank poll, says Jayant Patil's hold on bank is over

BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar targeted his opponents after winning from the Jat constituency in the Sangli District Central Cooperative Bank election. He said, "Those who were out to 'correct' others have themselves been brought to book by us."

Padalkar claimed his result had changed the entire arithmetic of the district bank and ended Jayant Patil's dominance over it. With this claim, he signalled a new contest in the district's politics. He also warned that the monopoly of "what I say will happen" would no longer be allowed to continue in the district.

Congratulating the voters of the Jat constituency, Padalkar said Jat taluka was adept at making new history. According to him, the leaders who claimed to lead the next generation had been setting one narrative after another, but the people of Jat broke their narratives. Padalkar said, "Those who set out to correct others have themselves been dealt with. We brought them to book. The people of Jat also dealt with them."

Padalkar alleged that some leaders were trying to hold sole control over the district bank. He said institutions belonging to opponents were being broken up and bought for a pittance, and he challenged this trend. He said plainly, "We will no longer allow the monopoly of 'what I say will happen' in the district." According to him, no one's autocracy would be tolerated in the district's politics.

Padalkar said he would stand with farmers with all his strength. In this context, he also referred to the Kavathemahankal election. He said many conspiracies were hatched to defeat Ghorpade, but he prevailed over all of them. He alleged that money was misused on a large scale in the election and that voters were offered all kinds of inducements. Explaining the significance of his win, he said, "We entered the election field late, yet we reached straight into the bank."

Asked whether he would join the district bank's ruling arrangement, Padalkar took a cautious line. He said he would accept whatever decision the senior leaders took. In his words, he would stand behind good work and oppose wrong work.

Padalkar also took a tough stand on recruitment to bank jobs. He said the Chief Minister had ordered an inquiry into the peon recruitment, and that he would now also look into the examination for clerk posts. Political friction is now likely to intensify over the equations of power, recruitment and the functioning of the bank following the district bank election.