The Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi, led by Congress MLC Satej Patil, won 13 of the 25 seats in the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, popularly known as Gokul Dairy, defeating the Mahayuti-backed Chhatrapati Shahu Shetkari Vikas Aghadi, which secured 12 seats. The final result followed recounts that changed the initial seat tally, making the election a closely contested battle with significant implications for western Maharashtra’s dairy cooperative sector.
The election took place on Sunday, October 18, with counting and recounting continuing into Monday. Of the 5,418 eligible voters, 5,414 cast their votes, representing a turnout of approximately 99.96%.
Recount Determines Final Gokul Election Result
The final outcome differed considerably from the initial reports. Satej Patil’s panel was initially reported to be leading with 16 seats against nine for the Mahayuti-backed alliance. Following subsequent recounts, the reported lead changed to 14–11 before the final tally settled at 13–12 in favour of Patil’s panel.
One significant change involved Sachin Ghorpade, who was initially reported to have won for the Samvichari Aghadi. After a recount on Monday evening, Mahayuti candidate Amar Patil was declared the winner of the seat.
The narrow final margin underlined the intensity of the contest and the importance of individual votes in determining control of the cooperative’s board.
Prominent Candidates Lose in Closely Contested Poll
Among the notable defeats was that of Navid Mushrif, son of Maharashtra minister Hasan Mushrif. He lost to Samvichari Aghadi candidate Shashikant Khot by 69 votes in the Other Backward Classes category.
Shoumika Mahadik, a candidate from the Mahayuti-backed panel, also lost by a narrow margin and sought a recount. However, the recount did not change the result. Her request reportedly led to a dispute at the counting centre involving Samvichari Aghadi candidate Abhijit Tayashte and an election official.
Former Gokul chairmen Arun Dongale and Vishwas Patil were also among the prominent candidates defeated in the election.
The results attracted considerable attention because of the involvement of senior political leaders from Maharashtra’s ruling alliance and opposition parties. The election was widely viewed as an important contest for influence over one of the region’s major dairy cooperative institutions.
Milk Producers’ Welfare Central to Campaign
During the campaign, Satej Patil focused on issues affecting dairy farmers and cooperative members. His key promises included increasing the price of Gokul milk by ₹5 per litre and reducing cattle-feed prices by ₹100 per bag.
He also opposed the proposal to convert Gokul into a multi-state cooperative, positioning the issue as part of the debate over the cooperative’s future direction.
Patil campaigned across several parts of Kolhapur district, including Radhanagari, Panhala, Chandgad, Bhudargad and Kagal, seeking support from milk producers and cooperative representatives.
Gokul is a major dairy cooperative in western Maharashtra, with an annual turnover of approximately ₹4,000 crore. Its activities make it an important institution for milk procurement, dairy processing and the regional dairy economy. The election’s outcome is therefore significant for farmers who depend on cooperative structures to market their milk and access dairy-related services.
Controversy Over Alleged Oaths During Campaign
The election also attracted controversy over allegations that some voters were asked to take oaths in the names of deities to support candidates from a particular panel.
Former MLA and Mahayuti leader KP Patil reportedly warned that breaking an oath taken in the name of Balu Mama, a revered deity in Kolhapur, could lead to a stroke. The remarks drew criticism from Satej Patil, who called for election authorities to take notice.
A note discovered inside a ballot box during counting added another dimension to the controversy. It questioned whether voters should take oaths to help political leaders secure election victories for their children and family members. The note was viewed as an apparent reference to Hasan Mushrif’s son, who was contesting the election. The author’s identity remained unknown, and the allegations surrounding the use of oaths were not established by the reported result.
Political Leaders Congratulate Winning Panel
Following the result, Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam congratulated Satej Patil and his team. Rohit Pawar, an MLA from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), also congratulated Patil, Ruturaj Patil and the winning candidates.
Rohit Pawar expressed hope that the new board would work in the interests of Gokul’s members and milk producers. He also linked the result to upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections for the Pune Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies, describing the cooperative election as an encouraging outcome for opposition candidates.
The final 13–12 result gives Satej Patil’s panel a narrow advantage in the Gokul cooperative election. Attention will now turn to how the new board addresses milk procurement prices, cattle-feed costs and other concerns raised by dairy farmers during the campaign.
