Petitioner is the Secretary of the Electricity Board Employees Co-operative Society (the Society). The petitioner was a member of the managing committee (committee for short) of the society which was elected on 11-10-1985. The term of the committee was three years, as the byelaw stood then. But the general body of the society had passed a resolution Ext. P1 on 28-4-1985 to extend the term of the

committee to five years. It is said that an application Ext.P2 for registering the amendment of the byelaws was sent to the second respondent Assistant Registrar on 2-5-1985, but the matter has not been dealt with or orders passed so far. In the absence of any reply to Ext, P2, the committee passed resolution on 19-6-1988 proposing to hold election to elect a new managing committee on 9-9-1988 and requesting the second respondent to appoint a returning officer for the purpose of holding the election. Since the term of the managing committee was expiring on 30-6-1988, they also made a request to the Joint Registrar to extend its term till 9-9-1988. Copies of the resolution were forwarded to the second respondent along with Ext. P1 dated 28-4-1985, but instead of acceding to the re