Satej Patil's panel wins Gokul board polls 13-12; Mahayuti eyes chairman election

The ruling Mahayuti had put in its full strength in the election of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, known as Gokul, but still lost. The like-minded panel led by Congress leader Satej Patil defeated the Mahayuti panel 13-12.

Before the election, it had been estimated that Patil's like-minded panel would win only four seats. The panel instead secured a majority, though a narrow one. Some Mahayuti leaders had claimed a 25-0 sweep. In the actual contest, Patil dealt the Mahayuti a setback by getting 13 of his directors elected. Twelve Mahayuti directors won.

The newly elected directors of Gokul will elect the chairman on October 29. With Gokul slipping out of its hands, the Mahayuti may make a fresh move in the chairman's election, it is being speculated.

There is talk that Mahayuti leaders may meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai today. In Kolhapur's political circles, it is being said that the Mahayuti will decide its next move after taking the Chief Minister's advice. A scheduled meeting of the state Cabinet is to be held in Mumbai today, and Mahayuti leaders are reported to be due to speak to Fadnavis after that.

According to sources, the Mahayuti's newly elected directors have not yet received any instruction about staying away from the meeting to elect the chairman. However, the Mahayuti may field its own candidate for the Gokul chairman's post. If that happens, the chairman's election could turn out to be as interesting as the board election.

Meanwhile, Patil has dismissed all these speculations. He said Mahayuti leaders will cooperate in the chairman's election, and that he has already spoken to Hasan Mushrif, Vinay Kore and Chandradeep Narke about it.

Patil said the dream of making the son of the late Anandrao Patil Chuyekar, founder chairman of the Gokul milk union, chairman is about to be fulfilled. He therefore does not think Mahayuti leaders will take a different decision.

He also made it clear that government-nominated directors or co-opted directors cannot vote. He said that if such votes began to be cast, elections in the cooperative sector would lose all meaning.