Chennai: State government informed the Madras high court that the election process and schedule were duly followed in the cooperative societies elections and the petitions challenging the election were not maintainable since an alternative remedy was available to the aggrieved persons.
Additional advocate general P.H.Arvindh Pandian made the above submission when a batch of petitions of candidates of 12 cooperative societies came up for hearing before Justice T.Raja.
Stating that the procedure and the schedule had been followed at every stage of the cooperative elections, the AAG produced forms relating to the Thakkolam Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credits Society in respect of the candidate C.Ashok Kumar.
Citing various judgments of the Supreme Court and High Court, he maintained that the petitions were not maintainable because there was an alternative remedy available to the aggrieved parties.
The aggrieved person has to approach the registrar to redress his grievance after declaration of results. After the elections are over and results declared, a writ petition cannot be entertained, he added.
Advocate M.S.Palanisamy, appearing for the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies election commission submitted that all procedures had been complied with. Already, elections to 97 cooperative societies were cancelled in the first phase and today, elections to 25 cooperative societies were cancelled in the second phase, he added.
Earlier, senior counsel P.Wilson, appearing for C.Ashok Kumar and four others. The arguments will continue on April 5.
