Thousands of milk farmers protested in Kolhapur on Monday, November 9, days after the Maharashtra government gave voting rights to four government-nominated directors on the Gokul dairy board. The decision – upheld earlier today by the Bombay High Court (HC) – could overturn the outcome of last month’s elections and hand control of the state’s largest milk cooperative, Kolhapur Zilla Sahakari Dudh Utpadak Sangh Maryadit, to the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

In last month’s elections, a panel led by Congress MLC Satej Patil won 13 of the 25 elected director seats, defeating the Mahayuti-backed panel, which secured 12.…