Mushrif, Mahadik claim Mahayuti win in Gokul chairman poll before result is announced

Politics has been running high around the Gokul milk union for the past 15 days. The government appointed four members to the union, after which the state's political climate heated up. The matter went straight to court. Voting to elect the chairman is being held today.

While voting was still under way, Nationalist leaders Hasan Mushrif and Dhananjay Mahadik announced the result. Both said the Mahayuti candidate had won and wished the new chairman well. This raised eyebrows, and people are asking what the hurry was for Mushrif and Mahadik.

Mahayuti leaders held a large rally in Kolhapur today. In his speech, Mushrif congratulated the Mahayuti candidate on the win right at the start. He said Rajesh Patil had been elected as the Mahayuti chairman, and that the result coming in just as the microphone was in his hand was a coincidence. He congratulated Rajesh Patil.

Mushrif said that because of the fight over dominance, he had not found his footing in this election. According to him, 5,000 votes went to the Mahayuti. He said the election was of 5,000 votes and that people had set out to change the state. He also thanked the Chief Minister.

Mushrif said he had not issued an ordinance to take over Gokul. He alleged that Bunty Patil insulted the Chief Minister and tried to show him a shoe, Yama and a buffalo. He said they had all borne this with restraint. Mushrif made it clear that even if his own candidate became chairman, they would not run riot.

Mushrif said the Chief Minister had done the work of saving democracy, while the Congress had insulted him. He said, "You have not grown big enough to hold my hand." According to him, someone became a member of the Legislative Council because of him, and without his initiative would not have become a minister of state. He said he had taken that person's hand and Vinay Kore's hand and gone to the legislature.

Mushrif said, in a proverb, that the berries and the acacia thorns come from the same village. He said who is the villain and who is not would be known in 2029. He claimed that Bunty Patil's meeting yesterday was his last meeting.

Dhananjay Mahadik too has claimed that Rajesh Patil has been elected Gokul chairman.