Election Officer and Deputy Collector of Anand district, N D Mistry finally announced the election of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) on Wednesday. The date of election has been fixed on August 18.
Nominations would be filed on the same day and the voting would begin from 11 am, informed the Collector. The date of election had become a thorny issue which ultimately sought the intervention of Gujarat High Court.
On 20 July High Court ordered the collector to complete the election process within a month. N D Mistry, the returning officer as well as the Deputy Commissioner of Anand which houses the famous brand Amul has announced the date keeping in mind the high court’s deadline.
Delay was being attributed to politicking by the Narendra Modi government which has also to go for election later this year in November.
GCMMF consists of 16 milk unions and there is a clear cut majority of BJP government in it with most of the chairmen belonging to its fold.
But within BJP also there is fierce fight which would only worsen with the announcement of date of election.
The outgoing Chairman Parthi Patel is an old time loyalist of Modi and it was Modi who ensured his smooth sailing in a highly politicized charged atmosphere of GCMMF Board room.
Vipul Chaudhary is another contender and a name to reckon with in BJP’s power of corridor. Then there are some elements of Congress which may try to upset Modi’s card by siding with some disgruntled element of BJP.
Some of the chairmen of milk unions also remain indecisive till end , mostly evaluating their “benefits” from different candidatures.