Shinde Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar has urged the Maharashtra government not to try to “forcibly capture power” at the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Dairy.

Amid a row over the Maharashtra government nominating directors to the board of the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Dairy (Gokul), Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar has urged it not to try to “forcibly capture power”, saying the mandate of farmers must be respected.

“There should be no attempt to forcibly capture power at Gokul. No cheating should take place. We should live up to democratic norms,” Dhangekar told The Indian Express .

Dhangekar’s remarks expose potential differences in the ruling Mahayuti alliance over the government’s handling of one of Maharashtra’s most influential cooperative institutions.

The Gokul controversy

In the Gokul milk cooperative elections held last month, an alliance led by Congress leader Satej Patil defeated the Mahayuti alliance, winning 13 seats to the ruling alliance’s 12.…