Gokul Dairy Row: Thousands Hit Kolhapur Streets Against Government's Director Appointments
Thousands protest in Kolhapur as Congress and Rahul Gandhi accuse the BJP of stealing the mandate in the Gokul Milk Cooperative Society elections.
The streets of Kolhapur witnessed a massive surge of anger on Monday as thousands of people joined a 'Sangharsh Morcha' march to protest the Maharashtra government's decision regarding the appointment of directors in the Gokul Milk Cooperative Society. The protest, which began at Dashhara Chowk and marched toward the District Collector's office, highlights a deepening political conflict over the control of one of the region's most significant cooperatives.
Allegations of a 'Stolen Mandate'
The controversy centers on the recent elections for the Gokul Milk Union. According to the Congress party, the electoral results saw their panel secure a victory by winning 13 out of the 25 available seats, while the BJP-backed panel managed only 12. However, the Congress alleges that the state government, unwilling to accept the defeat, retrospectively altered the rules to tilt the balance of power.
The opposition claims that the government granted voting rights to four additional nominated directors. This move effectively increased the BJP panel's strength from 12 to 16, allowing them to seize a majority despite the initial election results. Congress has termed this action as a "theft of the people's mandate" and warned that the farmers of Maharashtra would not forget this move.
High-Profile Political Backlash
The Gokul Dairy row has attracted national attention, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi weighing in on the situation via X (formerly Twitter). Gandhi accused the BJP of "adulteration in the mandate," stating that the party is so desperate for power that it is willing to go to any lengths to overturn the will of the milk producers.
"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," Rahul Gandhi posted.
Adding to the criticism, Abhijeet Dipke, an activist with the Cockroach Janta Party, accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of attempting a "hostile takeover" of the cooperative. Dipke argued that while the Chief Minister often labels others as anarchists, using state power to bypass an electoral verdict is the true definition of anarchy.
The Stake: A ₹4,000-Crore Empire
The intensity of the battle is attributed to the massive scale of the Gokul cooperative dairy, which is valued at approximately ₹4,000 crore. Satej Patil, whose group won the 13 seats, has accused the state government of manipulating the law retrospectively specifically to gain control over this financial powerhouse.
Government's Defense: The Quorum Crisis
Responding to the mounting pressure and allegations, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has rejected the claims of a power grab. The state government maintains that the decision to nominate members with voting rights was a necessary administrative step to resolve a "quorum crisis."
The Chief Minister explained that neither of the two competing factions within the Gokul society possessed enough members to meet the minimum quorum required to elect a chairman. According to the government, the appointments were made to break this deadlock and ensure the cooperative could function effectively by finally electing its leadership.