KALUBHAI RANABHAI AKABARI Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The subject matter of these petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution is the controversy regarding the eligibility of the members of the managing committees of three cooperative societies (respondent No. 5 in each of the three petitions) to vote at the elections to APMC, Junagadh to be conducted under the Gujarat Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1963 ('the Act' for brevity). The petitions have been heard for final disposal from time to time. Since common questions of law arise in these petitions, all the petitions are being disposed of by this common judgment.

(2.) The Director of Agricultural Marketing and Rural Finance, Gujarat State (hereinafter referred to as 'the Director') issued a notification on 23.3.2007 fixing the date of elections to APMC, Junagadh as under: <FRM>JUDGEMENT_280_TLGJ0_2007Html1.htm</FRM>

(3.) As far as the three co-operative societies are concerned, these petitions came to be filed on 1.5.2007 challenging the registration of the societies and seeking a direction that the names of the members of the managing committees of the respondent-societies may not be included in the list of voters to be prepared and published for the purpose of elections to APMC, Junagadh for which the election program was already declared. It was also prayed that the respondent-authorities be directed not to consider the respondent-societies as registered societies for the purpose of elections to APMC, Junagadh.