Case: Raj Rajendra Malojirao Shitole Vs. State of Madhya Bharat

These appeals preferred on behalf of three zamindars of the State of Madhya Bharat against the judgment of the High Court of Judicature of that State dated the 4th December, 1952, raise common constitutional questions and can be disposed of by one judgment. The State also preferred cross appeals against the same judgment. During the pendency of these appeals, two petitions under article 32 of the Constitution of India were also made to this court to obtain the same relief as was claimed by the appellants in their respective appeals. During the course of the arguments, the counsel appearing for the appellant in Civil Appeal No. 5 of 1953 asked leave to withdraw the appeal. This was granted and the appeal was dismissed as having been withdrawn. Petitioner. Nos. 116 and 117 of 1953 preferred under article 3 were also withdrawn and were accordingly dismissed. Civil Appeals Nos. 4 and 6 of 1953 were argued before us and this judgment concerns them aloneAs regards Civil Appeals . Nos. 4 and 6 of 1953, the facts are: That in April, 1948, after the partition of India, and the formation of two Dominions, India and Pakistan, the Rulers of the States of Gwalior, Indore and certain other States in Central India being convinced that the welfare of the people of that region could best be secured by the establishment of a State comprising the territories of their respective States with a common Executive, Legislature and Judiciary entered into an agreement for the formation of a United State of Gwalior, Indore and Malwa (Madhya Bharat). It was resolved by them to entrust to a Constituent Assembly consisting of elected representatives of the people the drawing up of a democratic Constitution for the State within the framework of the Constitution of India to which the Rulers of these States had acceded. The covenant entered into by these Rulers was published on the 7th October, 1948. The Rulers agreed, under article III of the covenant, to elect a Rajpramukh of the United State, and by article VI the Ruler of each Covenanting State agreed to make over the administration of the State to the Rajpramukh not later than the first day of July, 1948, and it was agreed that thereupon all rights, authority and jurisdiction belonging to the Ruler which appertain, or are incidental to, the Government of the Covenanting States shall vest in the United State and were thereafter to be exercisable only as provided by the covenant or by the Constitution to be framed thereunder. By article X it was agreed that as soon as practicable a Constituent Assembly, for the purpose of framing a Constitution for the United State within the framework of the covenant and the Constitution of India, was to be formed and clause (2) of the said article provided:"The Rajpramukh shall constitute not later than the first day of August, 1948, an interim Legislative Assembly for the United State in the manner indicated in Schedule IV." Schedule IV laid down the following procedure for The constitution of the Legislative Assembly:"1. The Legislative Assembly shall consist of-- (a) forty members elected by the members of the Gwalior Legislative Assembly;(b) fifteen members elected by the members of the Indore Legislative Assembly; and3. The Rajpramukh may make rules for carrying into effect the foregoing provisions of this Schedule and securing the due constitution of the interim Legislative Assembly."In pursuance of this covenant the Rajpramukh took the oath of office on the 28th of May, 1948. In the meantime 40 members representing the Indore group were elected to the interim legislative-assembly on the 8th and 9th of May, 1948, respectively. As regards the election of 20 members that had to be elected by an electoral college, what happened was this. The Ministry of States, Government of India, on the 5th July, 1948, informed the Rajpramukh that there were many practical difficulties in setting up an electoral college consisting of elected representatives of the various States, because in many of the smaller States there were no elected bodies of any kind. After considering the various difficulties it was suggested to the Rajpramukh that the twenty seats may be allocated between the different States in a certain manner mentioned in the latter and out of these, fourteen may be allotted to the nominees of the Praja Mandal and the remaining six may be nominated by the Rajpramukh himself.This suggestion was modified by a letter of the 19th of November, 1948, and it was finally agreed upon that the Madhya Bharat Provincial Congress Committee may be asked to elect six persons to represent the smaller States in the Madhya Bharat interim legislative assembly. This suggestion was not exactly in accord with what had been indicated in clause 1 (c) of Schedule IV. These representatives were elected in the manner suggested in the two letters, on the 19th October, 1948, and they were declared to be validly elected in terms of the covenant

Reasoning: Even if that body was not formed in strict compliance with the provisions indicated in Schedule IV of the covenant its defective formation does not affect the constitutionality of the impugned statute. The impugned statute was passed in the year 1951 after the Constitution of India had given recognition to, and conferred powers on, the Assembly under article 385 of the Constitution. When it made this law it was exercising its powers under the Constitution of India and not under the covenant which brought it into existence.