Civil Writ Petition No. 12332 of 2010 (O&M) 1 In the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, at Chandigarh. Civil Writ Petition No. 12332 of 2010 (O&M) Date of Decision: 13.10.2010 Lakhbir Singh and Another …Petitioners Versus State of Punjab and Others …Respondents CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE KANWALJIT SINGH AHLUWALIA. Present: Mr. N.S. Vashist, Advocate for Mr. Harit Sharma, Advocate for the petitioners. Ms. Ambika Luthra, Assistant Advocate General, Punjab, for respondents No.1 to 3. Mrs. Vertika H. Singh, Advocate for respondent No.4. None for respondent No.5. Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia, J. (Oral) Civil Misc. No. 14834 of 2010 Civil Misc. Application is allowed. Written statement along with the annexures is taken on record. Civil Writ Petition No. 12332 of 2010 Learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that a number of irregularities have been committed in the election of the Ferozepur Cental Co-operative Bank Limited, Ferozepur and the Civil Writ Petition No. 12332 of 2010 (O&M) 2 guidelines and mandate, as laid in Balwinder Singh and Others v. Financial Commissioner, Co-operation and Others 2006(2) Punjab Law Journal 183 by the Division Bench of this Court, were not followed in holding the election. Learned counsel for the petitioners further submits that the ruling party had blatantly misused the power to benefit the chosen persons. Learned counsel for respondent No.4 has controverted these allegations and submitted that the petitioners have got an alternative remedy under Sections 55 and 56 of Punjab Co-operative Societies Act, 1961, to assail the election. Learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that in case the election petition is instituted, it will be unnecessarily delayed at the instance of ruling party. To allay this apprehension of learned counsel for the petitioners, this Court is of the view that the concerned authority can be directed to decide the election petition within a stipulated period. In this situation, learned counsel for the petitioners submits that he be permitted to withdraw the present writ petition with the liberty to raise all the arguments, available to the petitioners, including those which have been raised in the present writ petition, in the election petition. Learned counsel for the respondents have no objection thereto. In this view of the matter, the present writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn with liberty to the petitioners to file the election petition within a period of 15 days from today and in case such a petition is filed, no objection qua limitation shall be raised. The concerned authority is directed to decide the election petition, after affording an opportunity of hearing to all the concerned, within a period of three months, from the Civil Writ Petition No. 12332 of 2010 (O&M) 3 date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. No costs. (Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia) Judge October 13, 2010 “DK”