After years of delay, elections for cooperative societies in Madhya Pradesh are finally set to take place. M.B. Ojha, head of the State Cooperative Election Authority, has announced that the elections will be conducted in five phases between May and September 2025.

These elections will cover around 4,500 cooperative societies across the state, with more than 53,000 members to be elected.

Phase-Wise Election Schedule:

• First Phase: May 1 to May 23
• Second Phase: May 13 to July 4
• Third Phase: June 23 to August 22
• Fourth Phase: July 5 to August 31
• Fifth Phase: July 14 to September 7

Following the completion of these phases, elections will also be held for the governing boards of 38 district cooperative banks and the Apex bank in the state.

This marks the first cooperative society election in Madhya Pradesh since 2013. As per the rules, elections should be conducted within six months after the term of a committee ends. However, despite committee terms ending as early as 2018, no elections had been held until now.

The Election Authority has started collecting updated membership lists from all districts. Once finalized, the election process will move forward at a quicker pace.

If completed as scheduled, these elections will result in the appointment of over 55,000 representatives across the state. Officials believe this will rejuvenate democratic practices within cooperative institutions and help resolve the administrative stagnation that has plagued the sector for years.

These elections are being seen as a major step towards restoring grassroots governance and promoting transparent, participatory management in Madhya Pradesh’s cooperative sector.