In Maharashtra’s cooperative bank elections, political rivals are striking deals to avoid contests, while partners in the ruling Mahayuti are preparing to fight each other. With 15 of 21 seats in Sangli going unopposed and nine each in Ahilyanagar and Satara, parties are prioritising consensus to secure seats for senior leaders and their relatives.

But in Satara, the BJP and Eknath Shinde ’s Shiv Sena have failed to prevent clashes between their candidates, exposing the limits of alliance unity at the local level.

Elections are underway in four major district central cooperative banks (DCCBs): Sangli, Satara and Ahilyanagar in western Maharashtra, and Latur in Marathwada. These banks are politically influential because they distribute crop loans to farmers and are closely tied to the rural economy.…