Samavichari panel secures 13 seats against 12 for the Mahayuti-backed group; nearly 100% of eligible voters cast their ballots
KOLHAPUR: The Satej Patil-backed Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samavichari Aghadi has won the election to the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, popularly known as Gokul Milk Union, defeating the Mahayuti-backed Chhatrapati Shahu Shetkari Vikas Aghadi led by Maharashtra minister Hasan Mushrif.
According to the reported results, the Samavichari panel secured 13 seats, while the Mahayuti-backed panel won 12 seats. The outcome marks a setback for the ruling alliance’s efforts to consolidate its influence over one of western Maharashtra’s prominent dairy cooperatives.
Nearly 100% voter turnout recorded
The election recorded exceptionally high participation, with 5,416 of 5,418 eligible voters casting their ballots on Sunday, representing approximately 99.96% turnout.
Polling was conducted at 35 booths across Kolhapur district under heavy security. A total of 50 candidates from the two panels contested the election.
Among the notable defeats were Navid Mushrif, son of Hasan Mushrif and a former chairman of the cooperative, and Shoumika Mahadik, wife of BJP leader Dhananjay Mahadik.
Patil raises concerns over invalid votes
Following the results, Congress leader Satej Patil said the milk producer-members had supported his panel because they wanted Gokul to be managed by local representatives rather than political leaders based in Mumbai.
Patil also alleged that approximately 98 votes had been deliberately declared invalid by counting officials. He claimed that the outcome could have been different without these invalid votes. The allegation was not independently established in the supplied report.
Hasan Mushrif accepted the election verdict, acknowledging that internal differences within the Mahayuti alliance before the polls may have affected its performance. He also referred to the number of invalid votes.
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The reported results have therefore brought attention to both the alliance’s electoral strategy and questions raised by candidates over the counting process.
Gokul election becomes a political contest
The contest between the Samavichari Aghadi and the Mahayuti-backed panel became a significant political battle in western Maharashtra, where cooperative institutions have long played an important role in rural economic activity and regional politics.
Patil, who had been associated with the winning side in the previous election, fielded a separate panel after being excluded from the alliance arrangement for the latest contest.
The result highlights the importance of local leadership and member relationships in cooperative elections, where voting rights are held by eligible members rather than the general electorate.
Dairy procurement and farmer benefits in focus
Beyond the political contest, the election has implications for Gokul’s members and the wider dairy sector in Kolhapur district. The federation plays a significant role in milk procurement and dairy-product marketing, connecting milk producers with organised processing and distribution channels.
During the campaign, Patil’s panel made several commitments concerning milk procurement, producer payments and cattle-feed costs. These included:
- Milk collection: Increase daily procurement from 20 lakh litres to 30 lakh litres.
- Buffalo milk procurement price: Increase the price by ₹5 per litre.
- Cow milk procurement price: Increase the price by ₹2 per litre.
- Cattle feed: Reduce the price by ₹100 per sack during the first month if elected.
These are campaign promises, not confirmed policy changes or implemented measures. Their impact will depend on the panel’s ability to implement them within Gokul’s financial and operational framework.
What the result means for the dairy cooperative
The election places renewed focus on milk procurement growth, farmer remuneration, feed costs and cooperative governance. Increasing collection volumes would require adequate chilling, processing, transport and market demand, while higher procurement prices and lower feed costs would need to be assessed against the cooperative’s operating expenses and financial position.
For Gokul’s milk producer-members, the key question now is how the elected leadership translates its campaign commitments into measurable improvements in procurement, producer returns and cooperative performance.
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