JUDGMENT

Surinder Singh Nijjar, J. —

1. Leave granted.

2. These appeals arise out of a common judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court dated 5.12.2008 in Writ Petition Nos. 7727 of 2008, 8264 of 2008, 8270 of 2008, 8279 of 2008, 8310 of 2008 and 11724 of 2008.

3. The primary issues raised in all these writ petitions were:-

i) Whether the office of a Lambardar would be an ‘office of profit’ so as to disqualify the incumbent of such an office to seek election as Panch of the Gram Panchayat.

ii) Whether the Anganwari workers employed in the various social-welfare schemes in the State of Punjab held an ‘office of profit’ and consequently disqualified for seeking election to the Gram Panchayats.

iii) Whether the State Election Commissioner, Punjab was justified in issuing the clarificatory Memorandum, Memo No. SEC-2008/4365 dated 30.4.2008 on the subject “General Elections to Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads - 2008 Clarification regarding contesting of election by Lambardars and Anganwari workers.

4. Civil Writ Petition No. 7727 of 2008 was filed by a Lambardar, who was seeking election to the Gram Sabha, Village Ladpur, Tehsil Amloh, Distt. Fatehgarh Saheb. He had come to know f