Fadnavis says Gokul would have faced fresh polls had four directors not been appointed

The Gokul milk union has become a hot political issue in Maharashtra. The state government's decision to appoint four directors to the union has made its opponents far more aggressive. MLA Satej Patil has repeatedly targeted the government over the matter. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has now given his first reaction.

Fadnavis said in an informal chat with journalists that if directors had not been appointed to Gokul, a fresh election would have had to be held.

In the union's election, no faction won a clear majority, which created a serious hurdle in electing the chairman. In this situation the government decided to appoint four directors, and that decision set off the political controversy.

The union has 25 members in all. A quorum of 14 members is reportedly needed to elect the chairman. Satej Patil's faction has 13 members, while the Mahayuti has 12. Neither side had the required numbers, so the meeting to elect the chairman ran into trouble. Not enough members were present at the meeting, and the election process stalled.

The government says that if the deadlock had continued, fresh elections or the appointment of an administrator could have become necessary. That is why it decided to appoint four directors. Fadnavis made it clear that the decision was taken keeping in mind the Advocate General's opinion.

Fadnavis also targeted the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi had alleged "vote chori" (vote theft) over the Gokul election on social media. Fadnavis expressed displeasure over this. He said Gokul has four and a half thousand voters, and that Rahul Gandhi tweeting about it shows how small the matter is.

The political fight is likely to intensify over whether the government's decision is legal. Opponents allege that the government, having failed to win a majority in the election, is trying to take over Gokul through the appointments.

The whole state is now watching who will become Gokul's chairman, whether the government's decision will stand, and what stand Satej Patil will take next.