AR. Lakshmanan, J.

The petitioners in the Original Petition challenge the procedure for the election of members to the Managing Committee of the Guruvayur Devaswom, which, according to S.4 of the Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978, is to be done by Hindus among the Council of Ministers of the State of Kerala. When the Original Petition came up before the Division Bench comprising of AR. Lakshmanan, Ag.C.J. (as he then was) and S.Sankarasubban, J, on 9th July, 1999, a detailed order was passed in C.M.P. No 26343 of 1999 recording the undertaking given by the learned Advocate General and also of the Government Pleader that the Hindus among the Council of Ministers will not elect or nominate any member to the Managing Committee of the Guruvayur Devaswom without obtaining permission from this Court. A separate order of reference was also passed by the said Bench on the same day referring the matter to a larger Bench of five Judges. Since the field is covered by the decision of a larger Bench and three Full Benches of this Court, the Division Bench felt that this matter requires consideration by a larger Bench, preferably by a Bench comprising of five Judges. That is how this matte