Gokul Dairy election: Mahayuti-backed NCP leader Rajesh Patil wins chairman's post

Former Nationalist Congress Party NCP MLA Rajesh Patil was elected chairman of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union popularly known as Gokul Dairy on Tuesday ending a 15day political deadlock over the leadership of the cooperative reported the IANSPatil the candidate fielded by the Mahayutibacked Chhatrapati Shahu Shetkari Vikas Aghadi defeated Shashikant PatilChuyekar who represented Congress leader Satej Patils Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi by securing 16 of the 29 votes cast His rival received 13 votes the news agency reportedThe election was conducted under the supervision of Returning Officer Mosami Chougule All four governmentnominated directors with voting rights supported the Mahayuti candidateGovtnominated directors help Mahayuti secure victoryThe election followed a prolonged deadlock after the Gokul board elections on October 18 Satej Patils Samvichari Aghadi had won 13 of the 25 elected director seats while the Mahayutibacked Vikas Aghadi secured 12 according to the IANSWith neither side having an independent majority the state government appointed five nominated directors four of whom were granted voting rights Their participation proved crucial in the chairmans election with all four voting for Rajesh PatilCongress leader Satej Patil had challenged the governments decision to grant voting rights to the nominated directors However the Bombay High Courts Aurangabad bench on Monday directed that the election proceed as scheduled on November 10 making the outcome subject to its final rulingDhananjay Mahadik says Fadnavis resolved deadlockBJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik welcomed Rajesh Patils victory saying the deadlock had been resolved through the intervention of Chief Minister Devendra FadnavisThe results have just come out Rajesh Patil has won by securing 16 votes Given the deadlock formed it was never possible for the Maha Vikas Aghadis chairman to get elected Those people were unnecessarily spreading a false narrative Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis worked to resolve that deadlock Mahadik told reporters as per the IANSHe also said the ruling alliance had decided that the Kolhapur district milk union should not become a D Y Patil Milk UnionMahadik added that the chairman would be from the NCP for the first year A meeting would be held next year to decide on the leadership arrangement for the following termOpposition had protested against nominated directorsThe chairmans election came a day after thousands of farmers dairy producers and Opposition leaders took part in a Sangharsh Morcha at Dasara Chowk in KolhapurLed by Congress MLA Satej Patil and former MP Raju Shetti the protest targeted the state governments ordinance allowing nominated directors to have voting rights in cooperative institutions with turnovers exceeding Rs 500 croreThe protesters alleged that the provision was aimed at helping the ruling Mahayuti alliance take control of Gokul a cooperative with an annual turnover of around Rs 3000 croreSatej Patil described the move as an attack on democratic values arguing that governmentnominated directors should not be allowed to override the mandate of elected representatives Leaders of the Kolhapur District Bar Association and local lawyers also joined the demonstrationWho is Rajesh PatilRajesh Narsingrao Patil is a former NCP MLA who represented the Chandgad Assembly constituency in Kolhapur district He is regarded as a close aide of former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Cabinet Minister Hasan MushrifPatil lost the 2024 Assembly election to BJP rebel candidate Shivaji Patil His father the late Narsingrao Gurunath Patil was also a prominent legislatorwith IANS inputs