Kolhapur, Maharashtra: The Congress-led Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi, headed by MLC Satej Patil, won 16 of the 25 seats in the election to the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union, popularly known as Gokul. The Mahayuti-backed panel secured the remaining nine seats, according to media reports.
The election recorded an impressive voter turnout of 99.96 per cent, with 50 candidates contesting for 25 seats. The contest had drawn considerable attention as a major political and cooperative-sector battle between Patil’s panel and the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
The results saw several prominent candidates backed by Mahayuti lose their seats. They included outgoing Gokul chairman Navid Mushrif, son of state minister Hasan Mushrif, and former chairmen Arun Dongale and Vishwas Patil.
Shaumika Mahadik also suffered a narrow defeat, losing by just seven votes.
The outcome shifts control of the influential dairy cooperative towards the Satej Patil-led panel, strengthening its position within Kolhapur’s cooperative sector.
Gokul plays an important role in the region’s dairy industry, connecting milk producers with cooperative processing and marketing networks. The new board’s leadership will therefore be significant for the union’s future direction and its engagement with dairy farmers across the district.
The election results also highlight the close relationship between cooperative institutions and the wider political landscape in Maharashtra, particularly in districts where dairy cooperatives hold substantial economic and organisational influence.