The ruling Mahayuti has wrested control of the powerful Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union in a battle that saw numerous twists and turnsA high-stakes election to an influential milk producers’ cooperative, a loss for the ruling alliance and a legal route that has helped it snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The BJP-led ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra has managed to wrest control of the powerful Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, popularly known as Gokul, after a battle that saw numerous twists and turns.On November 10, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former MLA Rajesh Patil was elected as chairman of the body after the four directors nominated by the state government voted in his favour.Earlier, the government had amended the law to allow it to nominate directors on large cooperatives.

This opened the backdoor to the state government controlling these bodies, which have massive clout over the rural and agrarian economy and wield the levers of power at the grassroots.The cabinet had approved an amendment allowing four government-nominated members to be appointed with voting rights on the boards of large cooperative federations that receive state assistance. This will upend the mandate and power structure in Gokul.

Last month, Congress leader and former minister Satej (Bunty) Patil and farmer leader and former MP Raju Shetti took on the Mahayuti in elections to Gokul. Despite being ranged against ministers Hasan Mushrif, Chandrakant (Dada) Patil, Prakash Abitkar, former minister Vinay Kore Savkar and Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay (Munna) Mahadik, the Patil and Shetti ‘Samavichari Aaghadi’ panel won 13 of the 25 seats up for grabs.However, despite securing a majority, Patil could not ensure that his nominee Shashikant Patil Chuyekar was elected as Gokul chairman.

The reason: the quorum required for conducting a meeting is 14 and the absence of the 12 elected representatives of the Mahayuti means a meeting cannot be convened to elect the chairman.Launched in 1963, Gokul has a turnover of over Rs 4,200 crore and covers almost 550,000 dairy farmers across Kolhapur district and nearby areas in western Maharashtra, with a catchment of over 1,800 villages. For almost three decades, the cooperative was controlled by MLC Mahadevrao Mahadik and MLA P.N.

Patil Sadolikar.In 2021, Satej Patil and Hasan Mushrif, who was then with the undivided NCP and rural development minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime, had wrested control over it. In his campaign last month, Patil had claimed that moves were afoot to hand over control of Gokul to the Gujarat-based Amul.However, in a surprising move, the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti cabinet approved an ordinance to amend Section 73AAA (2) of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960.

It provides for five government nominees to be appointed on the boards of cooperative federations with an annual turnover above Rs 500 crore that receive government assistance, such as share capital, loans, guarantees, funds or land. The amendment will, however, not apply to district central cooperative banks.The move ensures the government can nominate five members, including a government official not below the rank of an assistant registrar of cooperative societies, to the board of these institutions.

This is seen as negating the popular mandate. Four of these non-official members have voting rights, which means that in the case of Gokul, the four members can vote for the Mahayuti, tipping the scales in its favour.The decision, which is said to be aimed at increasing transparency, accountability and professionalism, came just days before the meeting of the board was to be held on November 10, as mandated by the Bombay High Court.

Rajesh Patil, former MLA from Chandgad and son of ex-MLA Narsing Gurunath Patil, was elected as chairman with 16 votes against Chuyekar’s 13. Earlier, a Bombay High Court bench had refused to intervene in the matter.Satej Patil charged that the government was misusing its authority to overturn the popular mandate and alleged that Mushrif and Chandrakantdada Patil were instrumental in this. “This is not just an insult of those who have been elected and Satej Patil, but that of the people of Kolhapur, whose dignity has been hurt,” he said.On November 9, a massive ‘Sangharsha Morcha’ was organised in Kolhapur and was attended by Opposition leaders such as former ministers Jayant Patil and Vishwajeet Kadam, and Congress MP from Kolhapur and local royal Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.

Satej Patik has said the ordinance will be challenged in court.Chief minister Fadnavis denies the government was trying to take control of Gokul and added that the two rival panels should have struck a compromise over the quorum and chairman’s post. “For us, this (ordinance) has no political motive,” he said.Fadnavis added that the two competing groups had been unable to muster numbers to secure a quorum and elect a chairman. “If the meeting is adjourned repeatedly due to lack of a quorum, the rights will naturally revert to the government,” underlined Fadnavis.However, Satej Patil questioned why the law would apply with retrospective effect and charged that the Mahayuti did not want the victorious alliance to get its chairman elected despite getting a simple majority on the board.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the chorus, posting on X: “In Gokul, the milk producers have defeated the BJP. So the BJP changed the rules after the election—bring in 4 directors, turn 12 into 16, and steal the majority.

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.”According to Congress leader and MP Pawan Khera, “The Maharashtra government is brazenly attempting to subvert the democratic mandate of milk producers at the Gokul Milk Federation by using legislative changes to manipulate the composition of an elected board.”“The larger question is whether a government can change the rules after an election simply because it does not like the result. We are challenging this decision in the Supreme Court to defend the democratic mandate and the autonomy of cooperative institutions,” he added.Reacting to Rahul’s post, Shiv Sena leader and former MP Sanjay Nirupam said: “Politics should never interfere with the cooperative sector...

Congress hatched a major conspiracy to take control of Gokul Dairy and ran an aggressive campaign. Yet, Congress-backed candidates won only 13 of the 25 seats while 12 candidates linked to the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP also won.

Since electing a chairman requires a two-thirds majority, the Maharashtra government has decided to amend the cooperative law to resolve the deadlock, ensure transparency, prevent corruption and protect the interests of thousands of farmers and dairy workers.”Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends