The Odisha High Court on Monday cancelled the Registrar of Cooperative Societies’ notification on inclusion of new members in the voters’ list for the ensuing Cooperative elections scheduled to be held on January 18 and 25.
A single judge bench of Justice Biswanath Rath maintained that the voters’ list announced by the State Government at the time of notification for Cooperative polls on October 27 this year would be final. The HC gave this directive in response to a writ petition filed by one Ajay Kumar Mohanty, who had termed the circular as unconstitutional and illegal and sought its cancellation.
It may be noted that the Cooperative Election Commissioner had brought a notification for election to 9,733 Cooperative bodies in the State on October 27. However, the Registrar, in a circular issued on November 17, invited new members of the cooperative bodies to register their names in the voters’ list by depositing a specified fee.