Satej Patil supporters celebrate at his Ajinkyatara office in Kolhapur’s Tarabai Park on Monday
Kolhapur : Congress member Satej Patil-led Samvichari Aghadi won 13 of 25 seats on Monday in hard-fought Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (Gokul Dairy) election, while Mahayuti-backed panel secured 12, returning officer Mousami Chougule announced late in the night. Polling for the election was held on Sunday, with a turnout of 5,416 votes of 5,418 eligible voters in the election to the Rs 3,000-crore milk cooperative. The poll was conducted to elect 25 directors for a five-year term.
Celebrations erupted among Patil’s supporters soon after the results were announced.
I extend my wishes to the new directors and will continue to cooperate for the dairy’s progress,” Mushrif said. State minister Hasan Mushrif and BJP Rajya Sabha member Dhananjay Mahadik issued separate statements accepting the verdict. “We accept the voters’ verdict of Gokul Dairy. I think the voters did not appreciate the bickering among Mahayuti partners. The number of invalid votes is also significant. The election also produced several other major upsets for Mahayuti. BJP leader and former director Shoumika Mahadik, former Gokul chairmen Vishwas alias Abaji Patil and Arun Dongale were defeated. In all, three former chairmen failed to secure re-election.