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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the BJP of attempting to overturn the electoral mandate in the Gokul Milk Cooperative elections in Maharashtra's Kolhapur, alleging that the rules were changed after the Congress-led panel defeated the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP changed the rules after the election to secure a majority on the board of directors, calling it "theft of the milk producers' votes". "In 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 it's going to any lengths everywhere to save power. Those who steal the milk producers' votes, remember - farmers don't forget," Rahul Gandhi said. https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2118202831442510199?a=q04_pJ2uqd8yCphU5oE&s=20 Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticised the Maharashtra government over the proposed changes, alleging an attempt to undermine the electoral mandate of milk producers. In a post on X on Wednesday, Khera said, "The Maharashtra government is brazenly attempting to subvert the democratic mandate of milk producers at the Gokul Milk Federation by using legislative changes to manipulate the composition of an elected board. In the 19 October elections, the Congress-led panel won 13 of 25 seats, securing a majority over the Mahayutis 12." He further said that after Mahayuti-backed directors stalled the chairmans election by remaining absent, the Bombay High Court directed a fresh election on November 10. "Instead of allowing the elected board to function, the state Cabinet has approved a proposal to nominate four government directors with voting rights, potentially altering the electoral arithmetic and overturning the mandate of milk producers," Khera said. https://x.com/Pawankhera/status/2117969872609243638?a=FoE4dJnnzJyiDu2TQsA&s=20 Raising questions over the proposed move, he added, "The larger question is whether a government can change the rules after an election simply because it does not like the result. We are challenging this decision in the Supreme Court to defend the democratic mandate and the autonomy of cooperative institutions." The remarks came after the Congress-led Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samavichari Aghadi, led by senior Congress leader Satej Patil, secured a majority in the election to the board of directors of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, popularly known as Gokul Dairy. The panel won 13 of the 25 board seats, while the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, secured 12 seats. The results were officially announced on October 19, 2026, dealing a setback to the ruling alliance. The election was held to decide control of the board of directors of the cooperative milk producers' union, which operates under the popular Gokul Dairy brand. (ANI)
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