Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to overturn the mandate of the Gokul Milk Cooperative elections in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, while he claimed that the rules were changed after a Congress-led panel defeated the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance. Sharing a post on X, formerly Twitter, he alleged that the BJP changed the rules post-election to secure a majority in the board of directors. He termed this entire action as the theft of votes of milk producers.
Rahul Gandhi's sharp attack
The Congress MP tweeted in detail, stating that milk producers defeated the BJP in Gokul, so the BJP changed the rules after the election. Stuff four directors, make twelve into sixteen, steal the majority. This is the theft of milk producers' votes and adulteration of the mandate. The BJP has become so desperate that it's going to any extent to save power everywhere. Warning the authorities, he added that those who steal the votes of milk producers must remember that farmers never forget.
Pawan Khera's allegations against Maharashtra government
Earlier, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera also launched a scathing attack on the Maharashtra government regarding the proposed changes. He stated that the Maharashtra government is making a brazen attempt to undermine the democratic mandate of milk producers in the Gokul Milk Federation. To achieve this, the government is resorting to legal changes and trying to manipulate the structure of the elected board. In the October 19 elections, the Congress-led panel won 13 out of 25 seats, securing a majority against the Mahayuti alliance's 12 seats. When Mahayuti-backed directors stayed away from meetings to stall the election of the chairman, the Bombay High Court directed fresh elections to be held on November 10.
Challenge in the Supreme Court
Khera further stated that instead of letting the elected board function independently, the state cabinet has approved a proposal to nominate four government directors who will also possess voting rights. This could alter the electoral equations and reverse the mandate given by milk producers. The biggest question, he emphasized, is whether a government can change rules after an election simply because it didn't like the results. He announced that to protect the democratic mandate and the autonomy of cooperative institutions, they're challenging this decision in the Supreme Court.
The entire context of Gokul Milk Cooperative elections
These sharp political reactions came in the wake of the victory of the Congress-led Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi panel, while this panel was led by senior Congress leader Satej Patil. It secured a majority in the election of the board of directors of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Association, popularly known as Gokul Dairy. Out of a total of 25 seats, this panel won 13 seats, while the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance secured 12 seats. The Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP. The official announcement of the election results was made on October 19. This outcome was widely seen as a significant setback for the ruling alliance. The election was conducted to decide control over the board of directors of the cooperative milk producers association, which operates under the brand name Gokul Dairy.