Vipul Patel, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, has been elected as the new chairman of the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited, also known as Amul Dairy. Kanti Sodha Parmar, a former Congress leader who joined the BJP earlier this month, was elected to the post of vice-chairman.
The BJP's successful election campaign in the milk cooperative union marks a significant win for the party as it has ousted the opposition Congress from the only milk cooperative dairy where the party held any sway.
Amul Dairy is the oldest milk cooperative in Gujarat, headquartered in Anand district, and has over 7 lakh milk producer members. The cooperative is famous for its brand Amul, which has become a household name in India. Amul Dairy plays a crucial role in the dairy industry of the state and has set an example for other milk cooperatives in the country.
The Congress, which once had a formidable presence in the cooperative sector, has lost its hold in all 18 thriving milk cooperative unions in the state, which play key roles in all elections. The BJP has taken complete control over the union after its four directors, who were also Congress leaders, including Juvansinh Chauhan, Sitaben Parmar, Shardaben Patel, and Ghelabhai Zala, joined the party last week. These resignations reduced the Congress-supported board members to a minority, leading to the BJP gaining full control of the union.
The Congress has been losing its grip on the union since 2017 when one of the oldest cooperative leaders and party MLA Ramsinh Parmar joined the BJP. Parmar lost the 2017 Assembly polls on a BJP ticket but continued to lead the union as its chairman. In the December 2022 Assembly polls, his son Yogendrasinh won from the Thasra constituency on the BJP ticket. The new Amul Dairy union chairman Vipul Patel is BJP's Kheda district president.
The cooperative sector in Gujarat has played an essential role in the state's development, and the milk cooperatives have been a significant contributor to the rural economy. The cooperatives have helped in improving the livelihood of the rural population, and they have been successful in creating a sustainable business model that has benefited the farmers and the consumers alike.
The election of Vipul Patel as the new chairman of the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited marks a significant win for the BJP in Gujarat's cooperative sector, while the Congress has lost its hold on all 18 thriving milk cooperative unions in the state.
