BJP-backed panel sweeps Amul's Surat-Tapi dairy board elections, Congress routed

In the board elections of the Surat-Tapi District Co-operative Milk Producers' Union, popularly known as SUMUL Dairy, the BJP-backed Sahkar panel won 15 of the 16 seats. The Congress-backed Pashupalak Heet Rakshak Samiti, which had held three seats in the previous board, was wiped out as the remaining seat went to an independent candidate.

SUMUL Dairy, a part of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) that owns the Amul brand, has an annual turnover of approximately Rs 6,500 crores and around 2.5 lakh member cattle rearers across Surat and Tapi districts.

The elections for the board of directors were held on July 15. Prior to the polls, the Congress had shifted 11 of its candidates to a 'safe place' to protect them from influence after the Sahkar panel won five seats uncontested. However, on July 4, the last day for withdrawal of nominations, two more seats became uncontested in favour of the BJP panel, leaving nine seats to be contested.

The results mark a significant shift in the leadership of the dairy, which is one of the largest in the Amul network.