‘State intervention technical, not to take control’: Maha CM breaks silence on Gokul Dairy row

Nagpur, Nov 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Breaking his silence over the escalating political row regarding the appointment of administrative directors to Kolhapur’s premier dairy cooperative, ‘Gokul’, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday clarified that the state government has no intention of interfering in or seizing control of the institution.

The controversy erupted after the ruling Mahayuti alliance suffered a defeat in the recent Gokul Dairy elections.

Following the loss, the state government issued an ordinance nominating five directors—one government appointee and four co-opted directors—granting voting rights to four of them.

Opposition slammed the decision, alleging that the Mahayuti government was attempting to forcefully assert control over Gokul and other major cooperative bodies in the state.

Rebutting the allegations, Fadnavis detailed the technical and legal deadlocks that necessitated the government’s move. Addressing the post-election deadlock, he noted that two distinct factions currently exist within Gokul's board, but neither holds the required quorum to elect a chairman independently.

"If one faction boycotts the board meeting, conducting the chairman election becomes impossible. Owing to the absence of one faction on the date previously set by the court, the election could not take place. Although the court has directed that elections be held afresh on the 10th, the statutory requirement of a valid quorum remains unchanged," CM Fadnavis stated.

Referencing Gokul’s bylaws and the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, CM Fadnavis pointed out that if an election is cancelled three times due to a lack of quorum, all executive authority legally shifts to the District Deputy Registrar (DDR), stripping elected representatives of their powers.

"To prevent this technical paralysis, ensure a complete quorum, and facilitate a smooth election process, the government decided to nominate voting directors. That is the sole objective behind this decision," he explained.

Dismissing claims of state overreach, the Chief Minister urged local party leaders to resolve their differences internally.

"Prominent leaders like Hasan Mushrif, Vinay Kore, and Bunty Patil should sit together and reach a unanimous consensus. If both factions come to an agreement, the state government has no interest in deploying anyone. Gokul is undoubtedly a vital institution for the district, but the government gains nothing by interfering in its day-to-day administration," he remarked.

Fadnavis brushed off attempts to link the Gokul election result to broader state politics, emphasising that the outcome carries no major political footprint.

"Following the Gokul polls, the BJP secured victories in the Graduate and Teachers' constituency elections. Therefore, giving a political colour to this entire matter is unwarranted. The state only expects local leaders to resolve this legal hitch and run the institution efficiently," he added.

Taking a subtle jab at critics, CM Fadnavis concluded: "Gokul is certainly a fine institution, but it is not so massive that our political standing suffers if it isn't aligned with us. We have zero political interest in this election."

Source: IANS