Gokul Dairy: Kolhapur milk producers up in arms against Fadnavis govt

• Congress-led panel won 13 of 25 seats in Gokul's October board election.

• Proposed amendments could give the BJP-backed faction a majority through government-nominated directors.

• More than 40,000 people join a protest in Kolhapur against the proposed intervention.

More than 40,000 dairy farmers, citizens and Opposition leaders took to the streets in Maharashtra's Kolhapur on Monday, 9 November, protesting the BJP-led state government's attempt to wrest control of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, popularly known as Gokul Dairy.

Established in 1963, Gokul is one of Maharashtra's largest cooperative dairy unions and a major power centre in Kolhapur's rural political landscape. Beyond its extensive milk procurement and distribution network, the cooperative commands considerable economic clout and grassroots influence, making control of its board a coveted prize in the region's political contest.

Led by the Congress, the massive mobilisation was organised under the banner of Sangharsh Morcha and directed against what the Opposition described as an attempt to overturn an electoral verdict through legislative changes and government intervention in a democratically elected cooperative institution.

The controversy follows the 19 October elections to Gokul's 25-member elected board, in which the Congress-led panel headed by Satej Patil won 13 seats, defeating the BJP-led Mahayuti panel, which secured 12.

With a majority on the board, the Congress-led panel was entitled to elect the chairperson and take control of the cooperative.

However, the process took an unexpected turn when the board meeting scheduled for 29 October to elect the chairperson could not proceed because the 12 directors belonging to the BJP-led faction stayed away.

Under Gokul's existing rules, at least 14 directors are required to constitute a quorum. With only the 13 Congress-backed directors present, the meeting could not formally proceed.

The Congress faction, however, announced Shashikant Patil as chairperson on the same day, maintaining that the elected majority had the mandate to lead the institution.

The BJP-led Maharashtra government declared the decision illegal on 30 October, prompting the Congress faction to approach the court. The court directed that the chairperson be elected at a meeting conducted under the existing system.

Instead of allowing the process to continue under the existing rules, however, the Devendra Fadnavis-led government moved to amend the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960, particularly Section 73AAA.

Under the proposed amendments, the government would be empowered to nominate five directors to cooperative societies with an annual turnover exceeding Rs 500 crore, four of whom would have voting rights.

The amendment could dramatically alter the balance of power at Gokul. If applied to the dairy, the BJP-backed faction's strength could rise from 12 to 16, giving it a majority despite having lost the 19 October election.

The Opposition has alleged that the amendment is specifically aimed at reversing the electoral outcome and securing control of the cooperative for the ruling alliance.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi described the move as "adulteration in the mandate", accusing the BJP of resorting to extraordinary measures to retain control wherever it suffers an electoral setback.

"The BJP has become so desperate that it's going to any lengths everywhere to save power. Those who steal the milk producers' votes, remember — farmers don't forget," he said.

Congress leader Pawan Khera also accused the state government of using legislative changes to alter the composition of an elected board rather than respecting the verdict of the milk producers.

The controversy has also drawn criticism from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, who attacked the BJP over its intervention in the cooperative.

Gokul connects approximately 4.41 lakh milk producers through 8,009 village-level primary societies spread across nearly 1,810 villages. It reported a turnover of Rs 3,966.28 crore in 2024-25.

With such an extensive network of milk producers, village societies and economic interests, Gokul occupies a strategic position in Kolhapur's rural economy and political landscape.

For political observers in Maharashtra, the confrontation has consequently become more than a contest for the chairperson's post. It has turned into a battle over whether an elected cooperative board can be reconfigured through government intervention after the ruling party loses an election.