( 1 ) THE subject matter of these petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution is the controversy regarding the eligibility of the members of the managing committees of three cooperative societies (respondent No. 5 in each of the three petitions) to vote at the elections to APMC, Junagadh to be conducted under the Gujarat Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1963 ( the Act for brevity ). The petitions have been heard for final disposal from time to time. Since common questions of law arise in these petitions, all the petitions are being disposed of by this common judgment.

( 2 ) THE Director of Agricultural Marketing and Rural Finance, Gujarat State (hereinafter referred to as the Director ) issued a notification on 23. 3. 2007 fixing the date of elections to APMC, Junagadh as under:

Date of presenting nomination forms of candidates 03. 7. 2007 Date of scrutiny of nomination forms 04. 7. 2007 Date of withdrawing nomination forms of candidates 09. 7. 2007 Date of polling 17. 7. 2007 Date of counting and date of declaration of result 18. 7. 2007

Thereafter on 5. 4. 2007, the Director announced the detailed program for holding elections to APMC, Junagadh as under and al