
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday, 6 November, accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of attempting to take control of the Gokul Cooperative Milk Federation through the backdoor by nominating five directors as experts and granting them voting rights. The Congress-backed panel won 13 of the 25 seats in the Gokul election, while the BJP-led panel secured 12.

The Mahayuti government has issued an ordinance amending the Cooperative Societies Act to increase government-nominated directors on cooperative bodies with turnover above Rs 500 crore from two to five, with voting rights for four. Maharashtra governor Jishnu Dev Varma approved the amendment on Friday. A meeting to elect the chairperson of the Gokul Board is scheduled for 10 November.
Congress leader Satej Patil has called for a protest march in Kolhapur on 9 November and said he will move the Bombay high court seeking a stay on the ordinance before the 10 November meeting. Patil cited a Gujarat high court decision that termed a similar move by the Gujarat government illegal.
Update, 7 November 2026: Hindustan Times reports the ordinance was issued despite opposition from civil service officers and that governor Jishnu Dev Varma approved it on 6 November. It adds that a senior BJP leader insisted on the voting-rights provision for four nominated directors. Congress leader Satej Patil plans to move the Bombay high court before the 10 November chairman election, citing a Gujarat high court ruling that termed a similar move illegal.
New Indian Express and Deccan Chronicle report Raj Thackeray's attack on the Mahayuti government, while Hindustan Times adds the governor's approval and an official's claim that the voting-rights provision was inserted at a senior BJP leader's insistence despite civil service opposition. The first two outlets frame Thackeray's accusation as the lead, making the story one of political protest, Hindustan Times leads with the ordinance and the government's procedural choice, shifting focus to the legality of the move. Hindustan Times also reports Congress leader Satej Patil's plan to move the Bombay high court before the 10 November chairman election, a concrete next step the other two only imply. Uniform across all three: the Congress-backed panel won 13 seats to the BJP-led panel's 12, and the ordinance appoints five government directors, four with voting rights.
Coverage: 3 sources, 2 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (3): newindianexpress.com (government critical), deccanchronicle.com (government critical), hindustantimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.