ORDER

This Court in these petitions granted an interim order permitting the petitioners to vote / contest in the election, which was held on 30.12.2023 to the Board of Directors of respondent – Bank. However, directed that the result shall not be announced till further orders from the Court, and the votes casted by the petitioners shall be kept in a ballot valid box. 2. Sri.Srinivas B. Naik, learned counsel for the respondent – Bank submits that the Bank is not an assisted society, as defined under Section 2A(1) of the Karnataka Co- operative Societies Act, 1959, and therefore, the present petitions are not maintainable, since the Bank is not a State, as stated under Article 12 of the Constitution of India.

3. In support, he places reliance on the decision of this Court in W.P. No.37512/2013 disposed off on 30.08.2013. 4. In pursuance of the interim order granted by this Court, the petitioners, who are more than thousand in number, have casted their vote, out of which 12 of them have contested to the election of the Board of Directors. The petitioners having exercised their electoral right in pursuance of the interim order of 2023 & WP No.107890 of 2023 granted by this Court, and if