The Bananthalli Milk Producers Co. Operative Society (Code 2311) v. the Assistant Registrar of Co-Operative Societies
Co-operative society election – petitioner declared ineligible voter
Case brief
What is this about?
Keywords: Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act 1959, Section 70(2) election dispute; ineligible voters list; Article 226/227 maintainability; alternative remedy; writ petition not proper remedy for election irregularities; co-operative society election; separate ballot box; interim orders; Returning Officer to announce result; contentions left open; Bananthalli Milk Producers Co-operative Society; Bengaluru Co-operative Milk Union; H.S. Raju v. State of Karnataka, W.P. No. 8502/2022 (07.06.2022) followed. Court: High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru, Single Judge (Suraj Govindaraj J.), order dated 11.07.2025. Result: writ petition disposed of, not decided on merits; election result to be announced counting petitioner's vote.
What did the court decide?
Writ petition disposed of without decision on merits. Returning Officer directed to announce the election result within seven days of receipt of a copy of the order, taking into account the vote cast by the petitioner; the petitioner's vote, kept in a separate ballot box under the interim orders, shall continue to be retained in a separate box until disposal of any election dispute under Section 70(2) of the Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act, 1959 raised within the prescribed time; all contentions left open; pending IAs disposed of as not surviving.