( 1 ) ALL these petitions raise certain common questions of law and challenge deletion of the petitioners names from the final lists of voters in different constituencies for elections to Agricultural Produce Market Committee, visnagar (hereafter referred to as "the A. P. M. C. " ). At the joint request of the learned counsels for all the parties, the petitions are, therefore, heard together and are being disposed of by this common judgment.

( 2 ) BEFORE examining the grievance of the petitioners and the defences raised by the respondents, it is necessary to have a look at certain provisions of the Gujarat agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1963 ("the Act" for brevity) and the Gujarat agricultural Produce Markets Rules, 1965 ("the Rules" for brevity ). Section 2 of the Act contains definitions some of which read as under : (i) "agricultural produce means all produce, whether processed or not, of agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry, specified in the Schedule. (v) "co-operative marketing society" means a society registered or deemed to be registered as such under the Gujarat Co-operative Societies Act, 1961 (Guj. X of 1962), and engaged in the business of buying or selling of agricultural produce and holding a licence; (vi) "director" means the Director of Agricultural Marketing and Rural Finance, gujarat State; (vii) "general commission agent" means a trader who bona fide buys or sells or offers to buy or sell for an agreed commission, any agricultural produce on behalf of another person and does or offers to do anything necessary for completing and carrying out the transaction of such sale or purchase; (ix) "licence" means a licence granted under Sec. 6 or, as the case may be, a general or special licence granted under Sec. 27; (xviii) "retail sale" means a sale of any agricultural produce not exceeding such quantity as a market committee may by by-laws determine to be a retail sale in respect of such agricultural produce, (xix) "rules" means rules made under Sec. 59; (xxii) "trader" means any person, who carries on the business by buying or selling of agricultural produce or of processing of agricultural produce for sale and includes a cooperative society, joint family or an association of persons, whether incorporated or not, which carries on such business; section 11 of the Act read as under :"11. Constitution of market committee :- (1) Every market committee shall consist of the following members, namely :- (i) eight agriculturists who shall be elected by members of managing committees of co-operative societies (other than co-operative marketing societies) dispensing agricultural credit in the market area; (ii) four members to be elected in the prescribed manner from amongst themselves by the traders holding general licences; (iii) two representatives of the co-operative marketing societies situate in the market area and holding general licences, to be elected from amongst the members (other than nominal, associate or sympathiser members) of such societies by the members of the managing committees of such societies. "

( 3 ) SECTION 27 provides for issuance, renewal, suspension or cancellation etc. of licences to traders, general commission agents etc. and also for appeals against refusal, suspension etc. of licences. Sec. 28 empowers the market committee to levy and collect fees on the agricultural produce brought or sold in the market area through such agents as it may appoint. Section 8 read with Rule 56 prohibits persons from carrying on the business as a trader or as general commission agent in agricultural produce in any market area without holding the licence obtained from the market committee. Section 59 empowers the State Government to frame rules for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Act including for the purpose of preparation and revision of list of voters for the purpose of any election under sec. 11, determination of the disputes arising in such election etc. Schedule to