JUDGMENT

C.K. THAKKER, J.—

1.Leave granted.

2.A question of considerable public importance has been raised by the appellant in the present appeal which has been instituted against judgment and order passed by a Single Judge of the High Court of Gujarat in Gujarat Pradesh Panchayat Parishad & Ors. v. State of Gujarat & Ors. in Special Civil Application No. 1192 of 2002 and companion matters decided on 25th October, 2002 and reported in (2003) 1 Guj LR 633 and confirmed by a Division Bench of the High Court in Letters Patent Appeal No. 1126 of 2002 decided on June 14, 2005.

3.To appreciate the controversy raised in the appeal, few relevant facts may be stated:

4.The Gujarat Pradesh Panchayat Parishad, appellant No.1 herein, is a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. All District Panchayats, Taluka Panchayats and Gram Panchayats are members of the Parishad. Appellant No.1 purports to protect the interest of the Panchayats in the State of Gujarat by ensuring that their members function as institutions of ‘Local Self Government’. Appellant No.2 is the Sabarkantha District Panchayat consisting of elected representatives. Appellant No.3 is the President of the said Dis