Gujarat HC rejects ADC Bank’s election schedule

A division bench of Justice R M Doshit and Justice S D Patel has directed the respondent bank to delimit its constituencies in accordance with Rule 3(a) of Gujarat Specified Co-operative Societies Election to Committees Rules within three months. The court has also directed the bank to start the election process afresh once the constituencies are delimited as per the court order.

The bank is also told to include areas of Chandkheda and Motera also in it as they were merged into the Ahmedabad limits in 2008. The court has also ordered the bank to scrutinise all the 730 self-help groups that are allegedly made members at the last moment. Importantly,the court has struck down the criteria set by respondents under By law 8 (1) of the bank,which made the eligibility to vote difficult.

The ruling comes as a major blow to the group affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party and led by Home Minister Amit Shah seeking to gain absolute control over the affairs of the bank. Advocate Saurabh Amin appeared for the petitioners.