Gokul Dairy Row: Congress Alleges 'Hostile Takeover' by Maharashtra Government
Congress and Rahul Gandhi allege the Maharashtra government changed rules to steal the mandate in the Gokul Milk Union elections in Kolhapur.
A political storm has erupted in Kolhapur over the control of the Gokul Milk Union, with the Congress party accusing the BJP-led Maharashtra government of orchestrating a "hostile takeover" of the cooperative. The controversy centers on allegations that the state government manipulated voting rules after the BJP-backed panel suffered a defeat in the cooperative's elections.
The Battle for the Mandate
According to the Congress, the election results for the Gokul Milk Union saw a narrow victory for their panel, which secured 13 out of the 25 available seats. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, on the other hand, managed to win 12 seats. However, the Congress claims that instead of accepting the verdict, the state government intervened to overturn the result.
The party alleges that the government retrospectively changed the rules to grant voting rights to four additional directors. This move effectively increased the BJP panel's strength from 12 to 16, granting them a majority they did not win through the ballot box.
Rahul Gandhi Slams 'Adulteration' of Votes
The issue gained national attention when senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to X to voice his outrage. He described the government's actions as a "theft of the milk producers' votes," comparing the manipulation of the mandate to "adulteration."
"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. He further warned that farmers would not forget those who steal their votes.
Allegations of 'Anarchy' and Power Grabs
The criticism was echoed by Abhijeet Dipke, an activist from the Cockroach Janta Party, who targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Dipke accused the Chief Minister of using his power to stage a hostile takeover of the milk cooperative after losing the election, calling those who trample on the people's verdict the "real anarchists."
Dipke further questioned the integrity of elections in the state, suggesting that if such tactics are used in a milk cooperative election, it raises concerns about state-level elections overseen by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Stakes: A ₹4,000-Crore Empire
The fight for control is not merely political but financial, as the Gokul cooperative dairy is valued at approximately ₹4,000 crore. Satej Patil, whose group won the 13 seats, has accused the state government of changing the law retrospectively specifically to seize control of this massive entity.
The Government's Defense
Responding to the mounting allegations, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected the claims of a power grab. He maintained that the decision to nominate members with voting rights was a practical necessity rather than a political maneuver.
The Chief Minister explained that the move was intended to resolve a "quorum crisis" that had stalled the election of the cooperative's chairman. He stated that neither of the two competing groups in Gokul possessed the sufficient numbers required to meet the quorum, making the nomination of additional members necessary to break the deadlock.