Gokul Dairy row: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis hits back at Rahul Gandhi over post-election ordinance

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday hit back at the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the election to the board of directors of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union popularly known as Gokul DairyCM Fadnavis said that the matter involved only 4500 voters and questioned why the Congress leader was raising it from DelhiReacting to Rahul Gandhis post on social media Fadnavis said neither panel had secured an outright majority in the 25member board with one group winning 13 seats and the other 12 He said repeated cancellations of meetings due to a lack of quorum had led to the governments interventionWhat a situation Rahul Gandhi has come to There are merely 4500 voters in Gokul and for that Rahul Gandhi has to sit in Delhi and tweet Nobody had secured a majority in Gokul One side had won 13 seats and the other 12 seats Fadnavis said ANI reportedFadnavis cites lack of quorum behind governments decisionExplaining the circumstances behind the governments decision Fadnavis said the required quorum for the meeting to elect the chairman was not met forcing its cancellation twiceTherefore the quorum required for the meeting was not being met The meeting had to be cancelled twice due to a lack of quorum If the meeting had been cancelled for the third time due to a lack of quorum the election itself would have been cancelled That is why the government took the decision he said ANI reportedResponding to questions about the legal validity of the decision Fadnavis said the government had acted after obtaining the Advocate Generals opinionSome people say this decision will not stand in court while others say it will The decision was taken only after obtaining the opinion of the Advocate General he saidHe also questioned Gandhis intervention maintaining that the issue was not of national significanceBut this is not a national issue Rahul Gandhi is getting involved even in this matter Fadnavis addedRahul Gandhi alleges BJP changed rules after Gokul electionEarlier on Thursday Gandhi accused the BJP of attempting to overturn the electoral mandate in the Gokul Milk Cooperative elections in Kolhapur alleging that the rules were changed after the Congressbacked panel defeated the BJPsupported Mahayuti allianceIn a post on X Gandhi alleged that the BJP had changed the rules after the election to secure a majority on the board of directors He described the move as theft of the milk producers votesIn Gokul milk producers have defeated the BJP So the BJP changed the rules after the election stuff in 4 directors turn 12 into 16 steal the majority This is theft of the milk producers votes adulteration in the mandate The BJP has become so desperate that its going to any lengths everywhere to save power Those who steal the milk producers votes remember farmers dont forget Gandhi saidCongressbacked panel wins 13 of 25 seatsThe Gokul Milk Union elections were held on October 19 2026 for 25 director posts recording a voter turnout of nearly 9974 to 9996 per cent The Congressbacked Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samavichari Aghadi led by Congress MLC Satej Patil won 13 seats while the BJPbacked Mahayuti panel secured the remaining 12 the news agency reportedHowever the election of the chairman was stalled after the 12 Mahayutibacked directors repeatedly boycotted meetings resulting in the absence of the 14member quorum required to conduct the electionSatej Patils panel subsequently approached the Bombay High Court The court issued notices to all 25 elected directors and directed that a fresh election for the chairman be held on November 10 2026Maharashtra cabinet approves ordinance on cooperative bodiesOn November 4 the Maharashtra Cabinet approved an ordinance allowing the state government to nominate five members to the managing committees of cooperative bodies with annual turnovers exceeding Rs 500 croreFour of the nominated members would have voting rightsThe move could alter the balance of power on the Gokul board potentially shifting the existing 1312 split in favour of the MahayutiThe ordinance drew criticism from opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi Congress leader Pawan Khera and NCP Sharadchandra Pawar leader Rohit Pawar who accused the government of undermining the electoral mandate and the autonomy of cooperative institutionsThe Congress has said it will challenge the ordinance in the Supreme Court In Kolhapur Satej Patil organised a protest march from Dasara Chowk to the District Collectorate calling November 4 a black day for Maharashtras cooperative movement Leaders of the NCP Sharadchandra Pawar also called for a gherao of the Gokul Dairy headquartersWith ANI inputs