Controversy Surrounds Election for Chairman's Post at Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union

The election for the chairman's post was mired in political controversy after the BJP-led Maharashtra government nominated four directors and gave them voting rights. Earlier last month, Congress MLC Satej Patil-backed panel won the election for the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union, popularly known as Gokul Dairy, by a narrow margin of 13-12. On Monday, the Bombay High Court refused to stay the government's ordinance giving voting rights to the four nominated directors. Meanwhile, opposition leaders and dairy farmers in Kolhapur protested against the government's decision. The protesters called it a direct attack on cooperative democracy. The Aurangabad bench of the high court ruled that the four nominated directors can participate in the chairman's election, but their votes will be placed in a separate ballot box. BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik said that Rajesh Patil got a total of 16 votes in the election for the chairman's post. With this victory, Rajesh Patil took over the reins of Gokul Dairy.