Protests erupted in Kolhapur as activists accused CM Devendra Fadnavis of attempting a hostile takeover of the Gokul Milk Cooperative by appointing new voting directors after a split electoral verdict, a move Fadnavis defends as a quorum fix.
Protests Erupt Over Alleged Hostile Takeover of Gokul Dairy
CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke on Monday accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of attempting a "hostile takeover" of the Gokul Milk Cooperative after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti lost the cooperative's election, as thousands of people took part in a protest march in Kolhapur against the state government's move to appoint additional directors with voting rights.
In a post on X, Dipke alleged that the state government was using its power to overturn the people's mandate instead of accepting the election results. "The Chief Minister calls others anarchists, but after losing an election to a milk cooperative himself, he tries to use his power to stage a ‘hostile takeover’ instead of accepting the people’s verdict," he said.
Controversy Over Cooperative Election Results
Explaining the controversy, Dipke said the group led by Satej Patil won 13 of the 25 seats in the Gokul Dairy elections, while the BJP-led Mahayuti secured 12 seats. He alleged that following the defeat, the BJP government brought in an ordinance appointing four additional members with voting rights. With these additional votes, the BJP-led group could secure a majority and take control of the cooperative despite losing the election.
"Those who trample on the people’s verdict and try to seize power are the real anarchists," Dipke said, saluting the people of Kolhapur who had taken to the streets to oppose the move. He also questioned the implications of the development for state-level elections, alleging that attempts to influence the outcome of a cooperative election raised concerns about the electoral process.
Public Outcry and Political Reactions
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in a Sangharsh Morcha march from Dashhara Chowk to the District Collector's office in Kolhapur, protesting against the Maharashtra government's decision to appoint directors in the Gokul Cooperative Society. CJP's Saurav Das, in a separate post on X, alleged that the government was undermining the system of free and fair elections in its pursuit of power.
"People have realised that this government, in its lust for complete and eternal power, has destroyed our nation’s free & fair elections system," he said. He further said that no government, irrespective of the political party in power, should be allowed to "STEAL elections in broad daylight", and called on people and the youth to take power into their own hands.
A protester participating in the march also criticised the Centre and the Maharashtra government, alleging that farmers were being targeted. "I strongly condemn both the central and state governments. Since 2014, we have witnessed the systematic dismantling of governance, and it seems there is a deliberate intent to crush the farmers at any cost," the protester said.
Satej Patil earlier accused the Maharashtra government of attempting to take control of the Rs 4,000-crore Gokul cooperative dairy by retrospectively changing the law, alleging that the move was aimed at overturning the mandate secured by his panel in the board elections. The local elections became a big talking point as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also accused the BJP of attempting to overturn the electoral mandate in the Gokul Milk Cooperative elections in Maharashtra's Kolhapur, alleging that the rules were changed after the Congress-led panel defeated the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance.
He posted on X, "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. 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."
Government's Stance on the Issue
However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected the allegations, saying the government's decision to nominate members with voting rights was aimed at resolving the quorum crisis that has stalled the election of its chairman. The Chief Minister said neither of the two groups in Gokul had sufficient numbers to meet the quorum requirement for electing the chairman.
He said the election could not be held earlier after one group remained absent from the meeting, following which the matter went to court. The court subsequently directed that the election be held on November 10, but did not permit the election to proceed without the required quorum.
"First of all, we must understand that after the Gokul elections, neither of the two groups has enough votes to fulfil the quorum requirement. If the quorum is not completed, the chairman cannot be elected. Therefore, if either of the two groups boycotts the meeting or remains absent, the election of the chairman cannot take place," he said.
Fadnavis further explained that under Gokul's laws and bylaws, if the election could not be conducted on three occasions, the powers would revert to the District Deputy Registrar (DDR), leaving the elected representatives without those powers. He said the provision to nominate certain individuals with voting rights was intended to address the statutory complication arising from the absence of a sufficient quorum.
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