In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has clarified that the right to vote and the right to contest elections are statutory entitlements rather than fundamental rights. This decision came while overturning a Rajasthan High Court ruling that had struck down eligibility conditions for elections within cooperative societies, specifically the District Milk Producers’ Cooperative Unions in Rajasthan. The Supreme Court, led by Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan, stated that these rights exist only to the extent conferred by statute and can be regulated by law. The court found that the eligibility conditions, such as minimum milk supply and operational continuity for candidates, do not violate constitutional guarantees. It emphasized that the high court's reasoning was flawed and that cooperative societies do not qualify as 'State' under Article 12 of the Constitution, meaning their internal governance disputes should not invoke the high court's writ jurisdiction. The ruling reinforces the legal distinction between eligibility criteria and disqualifications, asserting that the former are necessary to ensure active participation in cooperative governance. This case arose from a challenge to the bye-laws governing elections in cooperative societies, which had been previously struck down by the high court as inconsistent with the Rajasthan Cooperative Societies Act, 2001. The Supreme Court's verdict underscores the importance of adhering to statutory mechanisms for resolving such disputes.