S.D. PANDIT, J.

1. RULE. Learned Additional Advocate General waives service of notice of RULE on behalf of respondents No. 1, 2 and 3 in all the petitions. Learned Advocate Mr. Tushar Mehta waives service of notice of RULE on behalf of respondent No. 4 in all the petitions. Learned Advocate Mr. B. S. Patel waives service of notice of RULE on behalf of respondents No. 5 and 6 in all the petitions. With the consent of the learned Advocates of the parties, these petitions are taken up for final hearing.

2. THESE three petitions are filed by the petitioners who belong to three different categories of voters as contemplated by Rule 7 of Gujarat Agricultural Produce Market Rules, 1965 (hereinafter referred to as "Rules of 1965"). With the consent of the parties, all these petitions are heard together on merits and they are being disposed of by this common judgment as they pertain to the same question of law involved in these petitions.

Petitioners in Special Civil Application No. 8523 of 1997 are the traders who are carrying on their business in the market area of Mehsana Agricultural Produce Market Committee. In petition No. 8534 of 1997, the petitioners are societies registered