Maharashtra Amends Co-Operative Act Ahead Of Gokul Dairy Board Elections

Mumbai: The Maharashtra state cabinet has approved an amendment to the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act of 1960 on Wednesday, affecting the upcoming chairman elections for the Gokul milk union.The decision was made during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.The state government will issue an ordinance to modify Section 73AA(2) of the cooperative law. This change allows the state government to appoint five nominated members to the board of directors of major cooperative societies.The new rule applies to any cooperative receiving government aid, such as funds, land, loans, or guarantees, with an annual turnover over Rs 500 crore. District Central Cooperative Banks are completely exempt from this new amendment.Among the five new members, one will be a government official ranked Assistant Registrar or higher, who cannot vote. The remaining four appointed members will be industry experts who can vote in board meetings but cannot run for office-bearer positions.Currently, large cooperatives only co-opt two directors and accept two government nominees. Officials said that the update prevents meeting deadlocks, ensures quorum, and avoids replacing elected boards with state-appointed administrators.The timing of this law directly impacts the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, known as Gokul.Gokul is no ordinary cooperative, having recorded a massive turnover of Rs 3,966.28 crore in 2024-25. It handles daily milk collections from over 8,000 village societies across Kolhapur, involving 4.41 lakh producers and giving it immense regional political influence.Congress leader Satej Patil's panel recently won 13 of the 25 elected board seats, while the ruling Mahayuti alliance won 12. The board meeting requires a 14-director quorum, which was missed when Mahayuti members skipped the October 29 chairman election. With four new voting members appointed by the state government, the ruling alliance could gain a 16-to-13 majority before the Bombay High Court's ordered November 10 re-vote.Satej Patil criticised the cabinet's decision as anti-democratic, arguing that post-election government appointments override the true voters' mandate. Government officials defended the move, saying that it adds professional expertise, improves administrative control, and protects public funds in high-turnover institutions.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, slamming the BJP, said the party changed the rules after milk producers defeated it."So the BJP changed the rules after the election - stuff in 4 directors, turn 12 into 16, steal the majority. This is theft of the milk producers' votes - adulteration in the mandate. The BJP has become so desperate that it's going to any lengths everywhere to save power," he wrote in a post on X.गोकुल में दूध उत्पादकों ने भाजपा को हरा दिया। तो भाजपा ने चुनाव के बाद नियम बदल दिए - 4 डायरेक्टर ठूँसो, 12 को 16 बनाओ, बहुमत चुराओ। ये दूध उत्पादकों के वोट की चोरी है - जनादेश में मिलावट। भाजपा इतनी हताश हो चुकी है कि हर जगह सत्ता बचाने के लिए किसी भी हद तक जा रही है। दूध उत्पादकों का वोट चुराने वाले याद रखें - किसान भूलता नहीं।— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 5, 2026Gandhi added, "Those who steal the milk producers' votes, remember - farmers don't forget."