In Brief
In this appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether elections to a cooperative society complied with Rule 35A(3) of the Kerala Cooperative Society Rules. The Court found that the election schedule was inadequately published—only in two vernacular newspapers with limited circulation (around 3,000)—resulting in minimal voter participation (1,390 out of 12,000 eligible voters). The Court held that this non-compliance with mandatory publication requirements was fatal and set aside the election. It directed the State Cooperative Election Commission to conduct a fresh election with proper notice in widely-circulated newspapers, with the existing Managing Committee continuing as an adhoc body until the new election is completed.
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