Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP of changing rules to control Gokul Milk Federation
The Congress leader alleged the BJP is attempting to overturn the electoral mandate in Maharashtra's milk cooperative after losing the election.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to take control of Maharashtra's Gokul Milk Federation. According to The New Indian Express, Gandhi alleged the BJP changed the rules after its panel lost the election to the Congress-led front.
In the Gokul Milk Federation election held on 19 October, the Congress-led panel secured 13 of the 25 seats, while the BJP-led Mahayuti panel won 12 seats. The Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to amend cooperative law to nominate government members with voting rights to the board, which could potentially give the BJP-led front a majority.
Gandhi stated on X that the BJP changed the rules to turn 12 directors into 16 to steal the majority. He described the move as the theft of milk producers' votes and an adulteration of the mandate.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera also accused the Maharashtra government of attempting to subvert the democratic mandate through legislative changes. Khera noted that after Mahayuti-backed directors stalled the chairman's election, the Bombay High Court directed a fresh election on 10 November.
Satej Patil, who headed the Congress panel, criticised the government for undermining the electoral mandate. He said he would challenge the decision in the Bombay High Court.
Established in 1963, Gokul is a large cooperative dairy institution with an annual turnover of Rs 3,966.28 crore in 2024-25.