JUDGMENT

R.N.Laddha, J. - The controversy relates to elections to the Managing Committee of the Jalgaon and Latur District Central Co-operative Banks.

2. When the hearing of the petitions commenced, the learned Counsel for the respondents indicated that they proposed to raise the preliminary objection. They put the preliminary objection on the ground that the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 is a self-contained Code under which the petitioners have a specific alternate remedy and therefore interference by this Court under its writ jurisdiction is not warranted. The question of law involved in this batch of petitions is common and therefore, these petitions are taken up for hearing together. To appreciate the controversy raised in these petitions, a few relevant facts in the first petition may be described.

3. The respondent no. 3 Returning Officer published the election programme of the election to the Managing Committee of respondent no.5 Bank. As per the election programme, the nomination forms were to be submitted between 11/10/2021 and 18/10/2021. The scrutiny was fixed on 20/10/2021 and final list of the eligible candidates would be published on 09/11/2021. A copy of