Last month, Congress leader Satej Patil took on two Cabinet ministers, two MPs and 10 MLAs of Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance and defeated them in the election to Kolhapur’s Gokul milk cooperative. On Wednesday, however, the state Cabinet approved a proposal that could fundamentally alter the balance of power in the cooperative, giving the government the power to appoint five directors to its board, four of them with voting rights.

The decision marks a significant escalation in the battle for control of one of Maharashtra’s most influential cooperative institutions. Having failed to dislodge Patil’s panel through the October 19 election, the ruling alliance could now gain a foothold through changes to the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act.

Under the proposal approved by the Cabinet, the government can appoint four expert directors and one officer of the rank of Deputy Registrar to the boards of apex cooperative institutions such as Gokul.…