The High Court of Karnataka has said that no eligible voting member of a cooperative society has the right to seek the list of other eligible voting members as the societies are tasked with publishing the list of only ineligible voters under the Karnataka Co-operative Societies Rules, 1960.
Noticing that it is only at the time of elections that the electoral roll is prepared, the court said that the list of eligible voters cannot be provided on submission of application merely because some members want to plan their campaign.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by H.M. Vishwanath and three others, all members of various primary agriculture credit cooperative societies in Tumakuru district.
The petitioners had moved the court as the Tumkuru District Central Cooperative Bank had not entertained their applications filed in June for providing provisional eligible and ineligible voters lists of primary credit cooperative societies; taluk agricultural producers cooperative marketing society; Group C and D primary credit cooperatives societies, and women’s self-help group cooperatives societies.
Stating that it is not for the petitioners to espouse the cause of ineligible voters by filing the present petition, the court said that if at all, the person named in the ineligible voters list has any grievances regarding the same, they have their own remedy under the rules as the society publishes the list of ineligible voters on its notice board.
