Gokul Election Row: Fadnavis Slams Rahul Gandhi, Calls Intervention 'Unnecessary'
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis hits back at Rahul Gandhi, claiming the Gokul Dairy board deadlock was due to a lack of quorum, not BJP interference.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched a sharp counter-attack against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over the escalating controversy surrounding the board of directors' election for the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, widely known as Gokul Dairy. The Chief Minister questioned why a national leader based in Delhi was intervening in a local matter involving only 4,500 voters.
The Clash Over 'Theft of Mandate'
The political firestorm erupted after Rahul Gandhi took to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse the BJP of manipulating the electoral process to overturn a democratic mandate. Gandhi alleged that after a Congress-led panel defeated the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance, the ruling party changed the rules to "steal" the majority.
"In Gokul, milk producers have defeated the BJP. So the BJP changed the rules after the election - stuff in 4 directors, turn 12 into 16, steal the majority. This is theft of the milk producers' votes - adulteration in the mandate," Gandhi posted, adding that farmers do not forget those who steal their votes.
Fadnavis Explains the Deadlock
Responding to these allegations, CM Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the claims of "theft" and explained that the situation was a result of a mathematical stalemate. According to the Chief Minister, neither side had a commanding majority that could function effectively under the current circumstances.
Fadnavis revealed that one group secured 13 seats while the other won 12. He clarified that the meetings to finalize the board were not blocked by malice but were cancelled twice because the required quorum was not met. "If the meeting had been cancelled for the third time due to a lack of quorum, the election itself would have been cancelled. That is why the government took the decision," Fadnavis stated.
Legal Standing and the Advocate General
Addressing concerns regarding the legality of the government's intervention, Fadnavis asserted that the state did not act arbitrarily. He maintained that the decision was made only after seeking and obtaining the professional opinion of the Advocate General.
He further mocked the scale of the issue, asking why Rahul Gandhi was tweeting from Delhi about a local cooperative union. "This is not a national issue. Rahul Gandhi is getting involved even in this matter," the CM added.
How the Gokul Row Began
The dispute traces back to October 19, 2026, during the elections for 25 director posts of the Gokul Milk Union. The election saw an extraordinary voter turnout, ranging between 99.74% and 99.96%.
- The Result: The Congress-backed Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samavichari Aghadi, led by Congress MLC Satej Patil, won 13 seats.
- The Opposition: The BJP-led Mahayuti coalition secured the remaining 12 seats.
Despite the slim majority, the process to elect a chairman hit a wall. The 12 Mahayuti-backed directors reportedly boycotted the meetings, preventing the 14-director quorum necessary to conduct the vote. This deadlock led Satej Patil’s panel to move the Bombay High Court.
While the High Court had issued notices and ordered a fresh chairman election for November 10, 2026, the state government preempted this by approving a controversial ordinance on November 4, 2026, to resolve the crisis.