MUMBAI — The legal battle over the cooperative dairy escalated sharply on Tuesday. High stakes define the cooperative sector in western Maharashtra.
A division bench of the Bombay High Court heard urgent petitions challenging the state administration’s legislative move. The bench explicitly refused to stall the execution of the ordinance. This administrative decision immediately alters the electoral math for the upcoming leadership ballot.
According to people familiar with the development, the ruling coalition Mahayuti pushed the ordinance through to reshape voting eligibility rules. Opposition leaders argued during briefings that the timing stinks of partisan maneuvering. They claim the rules were altered exclusively to tilt the scales against the established Congress-backed faction.
The Kolhapur Power Struggle
Gokul, officially known as the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Society, represents massive economic and political leverage in the region. Controlling the cooperative translates directly to grassroots political influence across rural belts. The Congress party has historically maintained a firm grip on these institutions. Ruling alliance constituents are now aggressively dismantling that monopoly.
Legal counsels representing the petitioners pressed for an immediate injunction. They cited procedural violations and sudden executive overreach. State law officers defended the ordinance as a routine administrative correction designed to widen participation. The court observed that policy matters require detailed affidavits before sweeping injunctions can be issued.
Party workers gathered outside local offices in Kolhapur as the judicial order trickled in. Tension remains palpable across the district. Heavy police deployments have been ordered around the dairy headquarters to prevent clashes between rival cadres.
The formal election for the chairman’s post is scheduled to proceed as planned on Wednesday. Observers will monitor the proceedings closely.
