Satej Patil plans march over Gokul tussle

Mumbai: The battle for Gokul is likely to shift to streets now as the senior Congress leader Satej Patil announced a protest march against the amendments cleared by the state cabinet in the CoOperarive Act.

At the press conference held at Gandhi Bhavan in Mumbai on Thursday Patil stated that the cabinet's decision to amend the cooperative law will be challenged both in the courts and on the streets by mobilising citizens on November 9.

​The political conflict erupted after the state government approved a decision to appoint government nominees with voting rights to cooperative societies that have an annual turnover of over Rs 500 crore, as the decision directly affects the Kolhapur Milk Producer's board which is better known as Gokul. The move is being opposed since it fundamentally alters the cooperative's power dynamics.

Currently, Patil’s faction holds a narrow majority of 13 directors, while the ruling alliance holds 12. By amending the cooperative rules to bypass the lack of quorum required for electing a chairman, the state is facilitating a shift in control, which Patil termed as a back-door entry to hijack the mandate given by the local populace.

During his address, Patil referred to the cabinet decision as a "black day" for Maharashtra, accusing the government of destroying the democratic voting rights of the state's people merely to seize power over the dairy institution. 

​Outlining his immediate course of action, Patil declared that the 'Sangharsh Morcha' in Kolhapur will commence at 10 AM on Monday, November 9, starting from Dasara Chowk and concluding at the District Collectorate.

He framed the government's intervention not just as a political maneuver against him or the 13 elected directors, but as a direct insult to the self-respect of every citizen in Kolhapur.

Urging the residents of Kolhapur to join the agitation in large numbers, he emphasized that while they will wage a rigorous legal battle against the expected ordinance, taking the fight to the streets is crucial to demonstrate public dissent. 

​The controversy has rapidly gained traction across the state, with the opposition preparing to escalate the issue of state interference in cooperative societies into a broader political campaign.

National figures from the Congress party, including leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, have taken note of the developments surrounding the cooperative law changes and the implications for farmers. Gandhi took to microblogging site X to write against the state government’s decision terming it yet another example of "Vote Chori".

Patil traveled to Mumbai early Thursday to strategize with senior alliance leaders before holding the press briefing, signaling that the opposition intends to use the Gokul Dairy dispute to corner the ruling alliance across Maharashtra.

Govt Defends Move

Maharashtra minister Hasan Mushrif on Thursday defended the state government’s intervention in Gokul Dairy’s leadership deadlock, claiming the move was necessary to restore democratic functioning and hand over the administration to elected representatives.

The Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, popularly known as Gokul Dairy, has come under the spotlight following a government decision that is likely to allow a panel to control the dairy despite having one fewer member than a Congress-backed panel.

“If democracy is to be preserved and the administration handed over to the 25 elected members, this deadlock had to be resolved. Only the government could resolve it,” Mushrif said, responding to criticism over the government’s decision.

Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s tweet on the issue, Mushrif said the Congress leader had not understood the matter.

In the recent election to Gokul Dairy, the Congress-backed panel won 13 seats, while the one supported by the Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena, secured 12.

However, the chairman’s election could not be held as the required quorum was not met after the Mahayuti-backed panel members remained absent from a meeting, said Mushrif.

Meanwhile, the state government on Wednesday approved the appointment of five government-nominated members to the managing committees of cooperative institutions with annual turnover of more than Rs 500 crore. This will likely tilt the balance at Gokul Dairy in favour of the Mahayuti-backed panel.

Congress leader Satej Patil, who led the panel that won 13 seats, has alleged that the move was a ploy to seize control of Gokul Dairy. Gokul collects around 20 lakh litres of milk daily from nearly 5.5 lakh farmers and pays them about Rs 100 crore every 10 days, according to Patil.

According to Mushrif, the law mandated a quorum, and the chairman of Gokul Dairy could not be elected without fulfilling the requirement. In the case of Gokul Dairy, the quorum is 14 of the 25 board members, Mushrif said.

He said that repeated failure to conduct the chairman’s election could lead to the appointment of an administrator, followed by fresh elections under the applicable rules.

People’s Power

MLA Rohit Pawar on Thursday urged “all those who believe in democracy” to gherao Kolhapur's Gokul Dairy during its chairman's election, to show the power of the people's mandate amid a row over the appointment of government-nominated members to the board.

Pawar alleged on X that the government’s move to appoint nominated members was an attempt to take control of Gokul Dairy despite the mandate of 5.5 lakh voters in favour of a panel backed by a Congress leader.

The cooperative body's chairman is scheduled to be elected on November 10.

The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved the appointment of five government-nominated members to the managing committees of cooperative institutions which have an annual turnover of more than Rs 500 crore, excluding district central cooperative banks. Four of the members will be entitled to vote on the board of directors.

In the recent elections to the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, better known as Gokul Dairy, the Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samavichari Aghadi, backed by Congress MLC Satej Patil, won 13 of the 25 seats. The panel supported by the BJP-led Mahayuti secured 12.

The chairman’s post has remained vacant because election meetings failed to get the required quorum of 14 directors. The cabinet’s decision could affect the balance of power on the board and the outcome of the chairman’s election.

In a post on X, Pawar alleged that the Maharashtra government's move to appoint nominated members was an attempt to take control of Gokul Dairy by disregarding the mandate of 5.5 lakh members who had voted in its election.

Oppn Slams Govt

Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Maharashtra government of trying to steal the people's mandate and take control of Gokul Dairy by appointing government-nominated directors, with MLC Satej Patil announcing a protest march in Kolhapur city on November 9.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on X that the government's decision to appoint nominated directors after the election was a theft of the milk producers' votes and "adulteration in the mandate".

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said that milk producers defeated the BJP in the election to Kolhapur-based Gokul Dairy, and so it changed the rules afterwards, adding four directors to increase its numbers.

While Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that the entire Maha Vikas Aghadi of the opposition must come together on the issue, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar urged “all those who believe in democracy” to gherao Gokul Dairy during its chairman's election.

Days after a panel backed by Congress leader Satej Patil defeated a panel supported by the ruling Mahayuti in elections to Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, better known as Gokul Dairy, the government approved the appointment of five government-nominated members to the managing committees of cooperative institutions with annual turnover of more than Rs 500 crore.

Patil on Thursday said the BJP-led government had "insulted the people of Kolhapur and hurt their self-respect".

A protest march would be taken out on November 9 from Dasara Chowk to the district collector's office in Kolhapur against the decision, he said.