Ahmedabad, April 26: A Narendra Modi loyalist today stepped into the shoes of Verghese Kurien, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation chairman who had been at loggerheads with the chief minister and was forced to step down.

Amid strong protests and a boycott by four members, Parthi Bhatol was elected the new chairman at Anand.

Calling the election procedure “unfair”, the four members ? Vipul Chaudhary of Mehsana union, Ramsinh Parmar of Kheda union, Narendra Mukhi of Baroda union and Govind Ranparia of Rajkot union ? alleged that the government was interfering in the functioning of the Rs 3,500-crore federation.

However, Mohan Bharwad, the Ahmedabad Milk Cooperative chairman, insisted that there was nothing wrong with the procedure.

“The government only wanted Bhatol to be elected unanimously. That is what all the members said when Verghese Kurien had resigned,” he said.

The former schoolteacher is an unlikely replacement for the high-profile Kurien, who is also known as the father of the White Revolution.

Bhatol shared the dais with Modi when he went on fast here on April 17 against on the Narmada dam issue. Bharwad was also present at the venue, rubbing shoulders with BJP bigwigs.