KOLHAPUR: Dairy farmers and Opposition leaders staged a major protest in Maharashtra's Kolhapur on Monday against the state government's decision to grant voting rights to four government-nominated directors in the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, popularly known as Gokul Dairy.
Led by the Rajarshi Shahu Shetkari Samvichari Aghadi, the protesters marched towards the district collectorate with cattle, carrying black flags and banners opposing the government's ordinance. The Times of India reported that more than 40,000 people joined the march.
The Maharashtra cabinet last week approved the appointment of five government-nominated members to the managing committees of cooperative institutions with an annual turnover exceeding Rs 500 crore, excluding district central cooperative banks. Four of the nominated members will have voting rights.
The move could change the balance of power in Gokul's 25-member board by increasing the ruling Mahayuti-backed group's strength from 12 to 16.
The development comes after the Aghadi, led by Congress MLC Satej Patil, won 13 seats in the October 19 board elections, while the Mahayuti-backed panel secured 12.
Congress leaders, MPs, farmers' representatives and local lawyers joined Monday's protest. Among those who participated were Satej Patil, MPs Vishal Patil and Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti.
The Aghadi has challenged the ordinance before the Bombay High Court, seeking its annulment. A hearing was listed before the court's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bench on Monday.
The protest comes amid a continuing tussle over control of the cooperative, which has an annual turnover of more than Rs 4,000 crore.
With input from media reports.