After years of holding their horses (rather, cows), the influential dairy co-operatives of Gujarat have decided to actively join the electoral battle. Though they have always been involved in elections-campaigning and funding candidates and a stray case of contesting-for the first time, the chairmen of three of the 13 cooperative dairies affiliated to the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) are in the fray.

While Ramsinh Parmar, chairman of Kaira Dairy, one of the oldest co-operative dairies in the state, is contesting on a Congress ticket, Vipul Chaudhary of Mehsana Dairy and Madhu Srivastava of Baroda Dairy are BJP candidates.

The state’s dairy co-operatives enjoy a strong network in rural areas and some on the board of directors of different dairy cooperatives in the state have always been actively involved in politics. Their involvement can prove to be very influential and as in the past, can swing votes in favour of the candidates they back.

Incidentally, dairy co-operatives have till now been a Congress bastion, but the BJP has been making inroads. In October this year, Chaudhary of Mehsana Dairy was dramatically inducted into the BJP at a Modi rally. The BJP even dropped some charges against him that were earlier slapped on him.

Chaudhary was minister of state for home in the Keshubhai Patel government before he joined the dairy sector. Chaudhury, who enjoys the support of the Chaudhary-Patel community, is vying for Bhiloda constituency in North Gujarat and is up against sitting MLA Anil Joshiyara of the Congress.

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