Gujarat’s Amul Dairy Set for Board Elections as Nominations Begin

August 20, 2025

Ahmedabad: Nominations for the Anand Amul Dairy elections opened today and will run until August 28, with the polls scheduled for September 10 and the counting to be completed on the same day. The elections, conducted for 11 block-level seats across the Anand, Kheda, and Mahisagar districts, determine the board that oversees India’s largest dairy brand by turnover.

Election format and context
Since 2015, Amul Dairy uses a block-based voting system in which elected representatives from village-level milk societies cast ballots rather than a general public vote. The process remains deeply intertwined with Gujarat’s political landscape, and the outcome is watched closely by farmers and political observers alike.

Recent electoral history
The election has seen a shift in recent years. In 2020, a Congress-backed panel led by Ramsinh Parmar won eight of the 12 seats, while the BJP managed only one seat. By 2023, the BJP had gained control of the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship, ending Congress’s decades-long dominance. In 2025, the contest has grown more fragmented, with Parmar’s faction maintaining influence while the BJP has made inroads and an independent candidate has also won seats.

Candidates and party dynamics
Kesarisinh Solanki, a former Matar MLA, confirmed that Congress has fielded capable candidates across all 11 blocks with the aim of defeating the BJP, and that nominations will be filed on August 27 and 28 at the Anand office. The Congress team, however, will not contest Thasra, a women’s reserved seat, where BJP leader Ramsinh Parmar’s daughter-in-law is expected to run uncontested. On the BJP side, Amul Dairy election in-charge Ajay Brahmabhatt said the selection process is ongoing and that final candidates would be announced soon, with nominations anticipated between August 25 and 27.

Amul’s stature and impact
Amul Dairy stands at the heart of Gujarat’s cooperative movement and is one of India’s largest dairy brands, with an annual turnover surpassing Rs 55,000 crore (2023-24). It procures milk from more than 36 lakh farmers across the state and has diversified into value-added products such as butter, cheese, paneer, chocolates, and beverages, underscoring its substantial influence on the rural economy and dairy livelihoods.

Potential implications
The outcome of the Amul Dairy board elections could influence not only the cooperative’s strategic direction but also broader political dynamics in Gujarat, given the historical alignment between cooperative movements and regional politics