Kolhapur, India: The election to the board of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, popularly known as Gokul Dairy, has turned into a closely contested political battle between Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance and a panel led by Congress leader Satej Patil.
Vote counting began on Monday, October 19, following a record turnout in the election held on Sunday. A total of 50 candidates are contesting 25 director positions, with the outcome expected to shape the leadership of one of the region’s most influential dairy cooperatives.
According to ABP Majha, 5,414 votes were cast from an electorate of 5,416, representing a turnout of approximately 99.96 per cent. Counting was being conducted across 35 tables.
The main contest is between the Mahayuti-backed Chhatrapati Shahu Shetkari Vikas Aghadi and the Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samavichari Aghadi led by Satej Patil.
Early counting produced a mixed picture. After the first 1,650 votes in the general category were counted, Mahayuti-backed candidates initially held leads in 17 of the 20 general-category positions, while three candidates from Patil’s panel were ahead. Subsequent updates indicated a stronger performance by Patil’s candidates, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the final outcome.
In a later update published by ABP Majha at 12:43 p.m. on Monday, 14 Mahayuti-backed candidates were reported to be narrowly ahead in the general category, while six candidates from Patil’s panel had moved into leading positions.
The candidates from Patil’s panel reported to be ahead included Shashikant Patil Chuyekar, Abhijit Tayashte, Babasaheb Chougale, Kisan Chougale, Vidyadhar Gurbe and Rahul Desai.
Former Gokul chairman Arun Dongale was among the prominent Mahayuti-backed figures reported to be trailing during the counting process. The changing leads have fuelled speculation about cross-voting, in which delegates vote for candidates outside their preferred political panel.
The election has attracted considerable attention because of the shifting political alliances in Maharashtra. In the previous Gokul election, Patil was part of a winning grouping that included several leaders who are now aligned with Mahayuti, including Hasan Mushrif, Vinay Kore and Prakash Abitkar.
The current contest has therefore become more than a cooperative election, with both sides seeking to demonstrate their political influence in Kolhapur district.
Gokul Dairy plays an important role in the local economy through milk procurement, processing and distribution, linking the cooperative directly to dairy farmers and milk-producing societies across the district. Control of its governing board carries both economic significance and political influence.
Although early trends have offered indications of the contest’s direction, narrow margins and reports of cross-voting have made it difficult to predict the final composition of the board.
At the time of ABP Majha’s initial report, no winners had been officially declared, and the candidate list was expected to be updated as counting progressed. The final result will determine whether the Mahayuti-backed panel retains control or Satej Patil’s alliance secures a stronger position in the cooperative.
