Rahul Gandhi Alleges 'Vote Chori' In Kolhapur Gokul Dairy Polls; Why Kolhapur's Cooperative Milk Union Is Significant

Maharashtra's Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, better known as Gokul Dairy, took centre stage after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a post on the election results linked to dairy polls. The LoP Lok Sabha launched a fresh allegation against the Bharatiya Janata Party over the " vote chori" issue, accusing the saffron party of rigging the elections.

"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," he wrote in an X post.

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Gandhi's reaction came after the Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved the appointment of five government-nominated members to the managing committees of cooperative institutions, enabling four of the members to be entitled to vote in the board of directors.

गोकुल में दूध उत्पादकों ने भाजपा को हरा दिया। तो भाजपा ने चुनाव के बाद नियम बदल दिए - 4 डायरेक्टर ठूँसो, 12 को 16 बनाओ, बहुमत चुराओ। ये दूध उत्पादकों के वोट की चोरी है - जनादेश में मिलावट। भाजपा इतनी हताश हो चुकी है कि हर जगह सत्ता बचाने के लिए किसी भी हद तक जा रही है। दूध उत्पादकों का वोट चुराने वाले याद रखें - किसान भूलता नहीं।

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 5, 2026

Why Is Gokul Dairy So Significant?

The number of farmers and monetary values associated with Gokul Dairy make it significant in Maharashtra politics. According to Rohit Pawar, 5,400 milk societies and five and a half lakh milk producer farmers are associated with the milk cooperative. The annual turnover of more than Rs 500 crore, excluding district central cooperative banks. The dairy collects milk from over 8,000 village societies across Kolhapur. Gokul, one of western Maharashtra's major cooperative institutions, has an annual turnover of more than Rs 4,000 crore.

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What Is The Row Around Gokul Dairy?

The appointment of the state-nominated members to Gokul Dairy in Kolhapur triggered a controversy around the milk cooperative. The opposition alleged that the government was attempting to alter the electoral mandate and secure control of the influential cooperative dairy. The opposition Congress and NCP (SP), as well as a leader of the ruling Shiv Sena, criticised the government's move. While NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said "public stripping of democracy was underway on Gokul's Kurukshetra", Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said the move amounted to overturning the democratic mandate and disregarding the Constitution.

Ravindra Dhangekar, a leader of BJP ally Shiv Sena, also hit out at the government over its decision, saying that esteemed institutions would crumble "in the frenzy to seize control" of the milk union.

Congress-Backed Union Wins 13 Out Of 15 Seats

Meanwhile, Congress MLC Satej Patil-backed Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samavichari Aghadi won 13 of the 25 seats in the elections of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union. The Mahayuti secured 12 seats. However, even as days have passed since the election results, the post of its chairman is lying vacant due to absence of the required quorum of 14 directors during election meetings.

(With PTI Inputs)