MUMBAI: 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, dealing a setback to the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
The Mahayuti-backed Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Vikas Aghadi won the remaining nine seats in the high-stakes contest, in which 50 candidates contested 25 seats. Voter turnout stood at 99.96 per cent.
The result is a significant victory for Patil, as Gokul is one of the most influential cooperative institutions in western Maharashtra, wielding considerable economic and political influence in the Kolhapur region. The election had turned into a prestige battle between Patil’s panel and the ruling alliance, whose leaders campaigned extensively to retain control of the dairy cooperative.
Among the prominent Mahayuti-backed candidates who lost were Navid Mushrif, the outgoing Gokul chairman and 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 counting initially saw the Mahayuti-backed panel take the lead. However, the Samvichari Aghadi gained ground as counting progressed, eventually securing a clear majority on the incoming board.
The election was marked by allegations and counter-allegations, with both panels seeking to consolidate support among the cooperative’s voters.
The 16–9 verdict shifts control of the federation towards Patil’s panel and is likely to influence political calculations in western Maharashtra, where cooperative institutions play a significant role in local leadership and electoral mobilisation. The victory is also expected to strengthen Patil’s position in Kolhapur politics and the Maharashtra Congress.