Gokul milk cooperative members and farmers take out a protest march in Kolhapur.
The move could shift the balance of power in the 25-member board by taking the Mahayuti’s strength from 12 to 16, news agency PTI reported. The Maharashtra cabinet last week approved the appointment of five government-nominated members to the managing committees of cooperative institutions with an annual turnover of more than Rs 500 crore, excluding district central cooperative banks. The development follows the October 19 elections to the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, popularly known as Gokul. The Satej Patil-led Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi won 13 of the 25 seats, while the Mahayuti-backed panel secured 12. The outcome was a setback for the BJP-led ruling alliance, whose leaders had campaigned together to win control of the cooperative, which has an annual turnover of more than Rs 4,000 crore. In a post on X, the party alleged that the government had changed the voting rules after the result, enabling the BJP-backed group to increase its strength from 12 to 16, ANI reported. Referring to the election outcome, the party said its panel had won 13 seats while the BJP-backed panel secured 12. The government gave four directors voting rights—allowing the BJP to increase its seats from 12 to 16,” the Congress said. In another post, Dipke said the elections were held for Gokul Dairy, where Patil’s group won 13 seats against 12 secured by the BJP-led Mahayuti. Satej Patil had earlier accused the state government of trying to take control of the Rs 4,000-crore cooperative by changing the law retrospectively. So the BJP changed the rules after the election – stuff in 4 directors, turn 12 into 16, steal the majority. The court later directed that the election be held on November 10 but did not allow it to proceed without the required quorum, ANI reported.
Therefore, if either of the two groups boycotts the meeting or remains absent, the election of the chairman cannot take place,” he said. In a social media post, she said the panel led by Patil had won decisively, but the state government was still keen on taking control of the institution. He alleged that the government subsequently introduced an ordinance appointing four additional members with voting rights, which could give the BJP-led group a majority despite its defeat in the election, ANI reported. He said the provision allowing the nomination of certain individuals with voting rights was introduced to address the statutory complication arising from the lack of a sufficient quorum. (With agency inputs) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolhapur | Silver Rate in Kolhapur | Bank Holidays in Kolhapur | Public Holidays in Kolhapur Stay updated with the latest Kolhapur news.
The lawyers said their participation was aimed at defending democratic principles in cooperative institutions. She said Pawar was closely tracking the developments and receiving updates every moment. Meanwhile, the Congress accused the BJP-led Maharashtra government of attempting a “hostile takeover” of Gokul after its panel lost the cooperative’s election. The Congress said milk producers had taken to the streets against what it described as an attempt to overturn the people’s mandate. Calling the move a “theft of the people’s mandate”, the party said Maharashtra’s farmers would not forgive the BJP. In a post on X, Dipke said: “The Chief Minister calls others anarchists, but after losing an election to a milk cooperative himself, he tries to use his power to stage a ‘hostile takeover’ instead of accepting the people’s verdict. “If attempts are being made to steal the people’s mandate even in an election for a milk cooperative, imagine what all must be going on in state-level elections with the help of Gyanesh Kumar,” he said. In a post on X, Gandhi said: “In Gokul, milk producers have defeated the BJP. Fadnavis said neither of the two groups had the numbers required to meet the quorum for the chairman’s election. He said the process had been held up after one group stayed away from a meeting, following which the matter went to court. The chief minister further said Gokul’s laws and bylaws provide that if the chairman’s election cannot be held on three occasions, the powers would revert to the District Deputy Registrar (DDR), leaving the elected representatives without those powers.
Farmers affiliated with the Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi marched to the district collectorate with their cattle, opposing the government’s ordinance. Four of these nominees will have voting rights on the board of directors. A large number of dairy farmers from across Kolhapur district joined Monday’s demonstration, with several bringing their cattle. Congress leaders, MPs and local lawyers also participated, carrying black flags and banners opposing the government’s decision. The Samvichari Aghadi has challenged the ordinance in the Bombay High Court and sought its revocation. NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule also backed the agitation. Sule shared a video of NCP (SP) chief and former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar watching news coverage of the protest. The NCP (SP) stands with the people of Kolhapur and Gokul’s milk-producing farmers in their fight for their legitimate rights, she added. “Frustrated by this defeat, the BJP government changed the rules. Cockroach Janta Party activist Abhijeet Dipke also targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis , accusing him of trying to take over the cooperative after losing the election. He also questioned the conduct of elections in Maharashtra, referring to Fadnavis and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He alleged that the move was intended to overturn the mandate secured by his panel in the board elections. The issue also drew in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi , who accused the BJP of attempting to reverse the electoral mandate after the Congress-led panel defeated the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance. This is theft of the milk producers’ votes – adulteration in the mandate. The BJP has become so desperate that it’s going to any lengths everywhere to save power. Those who steal the milk producers’ votes, remember – farmers don’t forget. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, rejected the allegations, saying the decision to nominate members with voting rights was intended to resolve a quorum-related problem that had stalled the election of Gokul’s chairman. “First of all, we must understand that after the Gokul elections, neither of the two groups has enough votes to fulfil the quorum requirement. If the quorum is not completed, the chairman cannot be elected. Download the TOI App.
Before the march, Congress MLC Satej Patil , MPs Vishal Patil and Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti met at Patil’s Ajinkyatara office to discuss the protest. KOLHAPUR: The Maharashtra government’s decision to give voting rights to four nominated directors on the board of the Gokul milk cooperative has sparked a political confrontation, with dairy farmers and opposition parties staging a major protest in Kolhapur on Monday. The matter was scheduled to come up before the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bench later on Monday, as the Kolhapur bench was closed for a holiday, PTI reported.
“Those who trample on the people’s verdict and try to seize power are the real anarchists,” he said. Dipke further alleged that the people’s mandate was being undermined and praised Kolhapur residents for protesting.