Gokul Election: Satej Patil’s Panel Wins 13 Seats, Mahayuti Gets 12 In Kolhapur

Pune: Congress MLC Satej Patil-led Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi won 13 of the 25 seats in the Gokul Milk Cooperative election on Monday, defeating the Mahayuti-backed Chhatrapati Shahu Shetkari Vikas Aghadi, which secured 12 seats. The result came after a closely contested election in which several senior political leaders campaigned for their respective panels.

The defeat of Navid Mushrif, son of Maharashtra Minister Hasan Mushrif, and former Gokul chairmen Arun Dongale and Vishwas Patil were among the key outcomes. The election to the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, popularly known as Gokul Dairy, was held on Sunday, Oct 18. Of the 5,418 eligible voters, 5,414 cast their votes, recording a turnout of around 99.96%.

Navid Mushrif, former chairmen defeated

Navid Mushrif lost to Shashikant Khot of the Samvichari Aghadi by 69 votes in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Shoumika Mahadik, who contested from the Mahayuti-backed panel, was also defeated by a narrow margin.

Mahadik sought a recount after her defeat. However, the recount did not change the result. The request led to a dispute at the counting centre involving Samvichari Aghadi candidate Abhijit Tayashte and an election official.

Satej Patil focuses on milk producers' demands

During the campaign, Patil focused on issues affecting milk producers. His key promises included an increase of ₹5 per litre in the price of Gokul milk and a reduction of ₹100 per bag in cattle-feed prices. He also opposed converting Gokul into a multi-state cooperative.

Patil campaigned across several parts of Kolhapur district, including Radhanagari, Panhala, Chandgad, Bhudargad and Kagal. He sought support from milk producers and cooperative representatives while fielding candidates against the Mahayuti-backed panel.

The contest involved several senior leaders from the ruling alliance, including Hasan Mushrif and other prominent political figures. Gokul is a major cooperative institution in western Maharashtra, with an annual turnover of around ₹4,000 crore, making its board election important for the region's dairy sector.

Note in ballot box revives oath-taking row

The election also drew attention over allegations that voters were asked to swear in the name of deities that they would support candidates from a particular panel. Former MLA and Mahayuti leader KP Patil reportedly warned that breaking an oath taken in the name of Balu Mama, a revered deity in Kolhapur, could lead to a stroke. The remarks drew criticism from Satej Patil, who called for election authorities to take notice.

A note found inside a ballot box during counting added to the controversy. It questioned whether voters should take oaths to help political leaders get their children and family members elected, which was considered a direct jibe at Hasan Mushrif, whose son was contesting. The identity of the note's author remains unknown. The note suggested that voters were forced to take oaths or that the practice influenced the election result.

Vishwajeet Kadam, Rohit Pawar congratulate Patil

Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam congratulated Patil and his team after the victory. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar also congratulated Patil, Ruturaj Patil and their team.

Rohit Pawar expressed hope that the new board would work in the interests of Gokul's members and milk producers. He also referred to the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections for the Pune Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies, saying the Gokul result should encourage opposition candidates.

Rohit Pawar said, “Heartiest congratulations to Satej Patil, the chief leader of the 'Samvichari Aghadi' panel; my friend Ruturaj Ji Patil; and their entire team for pressing the trigger and flipping the cart right on the spot in the Gokul Milk Cooperative election. The people of Kolhapur have proved in this election that once it is decided, they do not back down until they crush the opposition.”

He also said the outcome was just a trailer of what would happen in upcoming elections.

A post-result response from Satej Patil, Hasan Mushrif or other senior leaders was not available at the time of writing.

Recount changes final count

The result of the Gokul election changed after a recount on Monday evening. Sachin Ghorpade, who was initially reported to have won for Satej Patil’s panel, lost the seat to Mahayuti candidate Amar Patil after the recount.

The initial tally gave Satej Patil’s panel a 16-9 lead over the Mahayuti-backed panel, which was then reported as a 14-11 lead, and now the final tally is 13-12 in favour of MLC Satej Patil.