Mahayuti plans one-year Gokul chairmanship for each of its four parties after poll win

Talk of how to share the chairman's post is now gathering pace after the election to the Gokul milk union, which holds an important place in Kolhapur politics. The Mahayuti won the election and dealt a setback to the Sanvichari Aghadi.

Former MLA Rajesh Patil, the Mahayuti candidate, defeated Shashikant Chuyekar of the Sanvichari Aghadi. Of 29 votes in all, Patil got 16, while Chuyekar had to settle for 13. The win, by a margin of just three votes, has given a new turn to the tussle for power in Gokul.

It has now emerged that the Mahayuti has settled a power-sharing formula for the Gokul chairman's post. According to sources, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Jan Surajya Paksha, all part of the Mahayuti, will each get a one-year turn as chairman. The formula is said to give all four parties a share in power at Gokul.

It is said the formula was framed so that there is no difference among the Mahayuti allies over the chairman's post. However, it is still unclear which party will hold the post in the fifth year. According to the information, the decision on the last year will be taken in light of the political situation at that time. Senior Mahayuti sources said the final decision will rest with the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the election process of the Gokul milk union had been mired in controversy. Leaders of the Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi had levelled serious allegations against the government. Before the voting, the matter had reached the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court. The court refused to stay the election process and allowed the election to be held as scheduled. It also upheld the voting rights of four nominated members.

The next hearing on the petition challenging the validity of the ordinance will be held on November 25. The political and legal dispute over Gokul will therefore stay in the news even after the election win. Kolhapur is now watching how the Mahayuti's power-sharing formula is actually implemented, and in whose favour the decision on the fifth-year chairmanship goes.