Rajesh Patil Wins Gokul Dairy Chairman Post for Mahayuti After High Court Ruling

Mahayuti candidate and former NCP MLA Rajesh Patil was elected chairman of the Kolhapur District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union, known as Gokul, on Tuesday. He defeated Shashikant Patil Chuyekar, the candidate backed by the panel led by Congress MLC Satej Patil. In the October 19 elections to the 25-member board, the Satej Patil-led Samavichari Aghadi had won 13 seats, while the Mahayuti panel secured 12 seats.

Legal Battle And Voting

The chairman election faced delays due to a legal dispute over the voting rights of government-nominated directors. The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to stay a state ordinance allowing nominated directors in large cooperative societies and let four government-nominated directors vote. The court ordered that their ballots be kept in a separate box pending a final hearing set for November 25. With the four nominated directors joining the 12 Mahayuti-backed directors, the alliance reached 16 votes against 13 for the opposition, letting Rajesh Patil win by a margin of three votes.

Political Alliances And Personal Vows

The victory highlights changing political equations in Kolhapur, showing a patch-up between MP Sanjay Mandlik and NCP Minister Hasan Mushrif, who previously fought each other. Rajesh Patil is the brother-in-law of Sanjay Mandlik, and Mushrif backed Patil for the chairman post this time. During the election, Patil wore a Gandhi cap instead of a traditional Marathi pheta. He vowed in 2024 not to wear a pheta until his leader Ajit Pawar became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a wish left unfulfilled after Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on January 28.

Context

Cooperative milk unions in Maharashtra carry immense financial and political weight, often serving as key power centers for local politicians. Legal battles over board control and government-nominated directors frequently spark sharp political clashes between rival state alliances.