Mahayuti-backed Rajesh Patil Elected Chairman of Gokul Dairy Amidst Political Deadlock
Mahayuti-backed Rajesh Patil Elected Chairman of Gokul Dairy Amidst Political Deadlock
Rajesh Patil, a former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator backed by the ruling Mahayuti alliance, was elected chairman of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union, commonly known as Gokul Dairy, on Tuesday. His victory concludes a 15-day political deadlock that had paralyzed the cooperative's leadership following contentious board elections in October.
Rajesh Patil, a former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator backed by the ruling Mahayuti alliance, was elected chairman of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union, commonly known as Gokul Dairy, on Tuesday. His victory concludes a 15-day political deadlock that had paralyzed the cooperative's leadership following contentious board elections in October.
Patil secured 16 of the 29 votes cast during the election held under the supervision of Returning Officer Mosami Chougule. He defeated his rival, Shashikant Patilchuyekar, who represented the Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi fielded by Congress leader Satej Patil. Patilchuyekar received 13 votes.
The outcome was heavily influenced by the state government's appointment of five nominated directors to the board after neither political faction secured an independent majority in the October 18 elections. While the Samvichari Aghadi won 13 of the 25 elected director seats, the Mahayuti-backed Vikas Aghadi secured 12. The government granted voting rights to four of its nominated directors, all of whom supported Patil.
The election proceeded despite legal challenges from Congress leader Satej Patil, who contested the government's decision to empower nominated directors in a cooperative with an annual turnover of approximately Rs 3,000 crore. On Monday, the Bombay High Court's Aurangabad bench directed that the election proceed as scheduled on November 10, noting that the final outcome would remain subject to its ultimate ruling.
BJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik welcomed Patil's victory, attributing the resolution of the deadlock to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. "Those people were unnecessarily spreading a false narrative. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis worked to resolve that deadlock," Mahadik told reporters. He added that the ruling alliance had decided the chairman would be from the NCP for the first year, with leadership arrangements for subsequent terms to be decided in a meeting next year.
The political maneuvering followed significant public protest. Thousands of farmers, dairy producers, and opposition leaders participated in a Sangharsh Morcha at Dasara Chowk in Kolhapur on Monday. Led by Satej Patil and former MP Raju Shetti, the demonstration targeted a state government ordinance allowing nominated directors to have voting rights in cooperative institutions with turnovers exceeding Rs 500 crore.
Protesters alleged the provision was designed to help the Mahayuti alliance take control of Gokul Dairy. Satej Patil described the move as an attack on democratic values, arguing that government-nominated directors should not override the mandate of elected representatives. Leaders from the Kolhapur District Bar Association and local lawyers also joined the demonstration.
Rajesh Narsingrao Patil is a former MLA who represented the Chandgad Assembly constituency in Kolhapur district. He is regarded as a close aide of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Cabinet Minister Hasan Mushrif. Patil lost the 2024 Assembly election to BJP rebel candidate Shivaji Patil. His father, the late Narsingrao Gurunath Patil, was also a prominent legislator.
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