Holding

The Supreme Court held that the respondents were neither managing agents nor holders of an office of profit under the Central Government, rendering the rejection of their nomination papers erroneous.

Summary

In the 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly election for the Bokaro constituency, the Returning Officer rejected the nomination papers of two workers, a Khalasi and a Meter Reader employed by Bokaro Steel Plant, on the ground that they were "managing agents" of the plant and thus disqualified under Section 10 of the Representation of People Act, 1951. The appellant, Sh. Aklu Ram Mahto, was subsequently elected, but the two respondents filed election petitions which the Patna High Court set aside, holding that the rejections were erroneous. On appeal, the Supreme Court examined whether the posts of Khalasi and Meter Reader qualified as "managing agent", "manager" or "secretary" within the meaning of Section 10, and whether the respondents held an office of profit under the Government of India under Article 191(1)(a) of the Constitution. The Court found that the positions were non‑executive, did not involve management of the company, and that the Steel Authority of India Ltd., though wholly owned by the Government, exercised control over appointments and remuneration, not the Government itself. Consequently, the respondents were not disqualified, their nominations were valid, and the appellant's election was set aside. The appeals were dismissed with costs.

Issues considered

Whether the posts of Khalasi and Meter Reader in Bokaro Steel Plant constitute "managing agent", "manager" or "secretary" under Section 10 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, disqualifying the candidates.
Whether the respondents, as employees of a government‑owned company, hold an office of profit under the Government of India within the meaning of Article 191(1)(a) of the Constitution.
Whether the rejection of the nomination papers on the above grounds was legally sustainable.

Legislation cited

Companies Act, 1956s. Section 2(25)
Constitution of Indias. Article 191(1)(a)
Representation of People Act, 1951s. 10, s. 100

Subjects

Election lawDisqualificationOffice of profitRepresentation of People ActManaging agentSteel Authority of IndiaNomination rejectionLegislative AssemblyConstitutional law

Judgment

A . SH. AKLU RAM MAHTO
v.
SH. RAJENDRA MAHTO

APRIL 1, 1999

B {MRS. SUJATA V. MANOHARANDK. VENKATASWAMI. JJ.] ·'

Representation of People Act, 1951:
I

Section 10-Election-Disqualification of candidates-Khalasi and
C Meter Reader-Filing of nomination papers for Assembly election-Returning
officer-Rejecti<?n of nomination papers on the ground that they were
'managing agents' of the Conipany-On challenge,. High Couri set aside the
election holding that the nomination papers were wrongly rejected-On
appeal, held both the posts are non-executive posts and were not entrusted
with the affairs of rhe Company-Thus the candidates cannot be considered
D as 'managing agent: 'Secretary' or 'manager' rejection of nomination papers
wholly erroneous.

Constitution of India, 1950: Article 191 (1) (a)-'Persons holding
office of profit under Government of Jndia'-Disqualified for being members
E of Legislative Assembly!Council-Khalasi or Meter Reader-Not .subject to
control of Central Government-Power of appointment and removal not
exercised by Central Government-Held, not an employee under Government
-Thus not disqualified for being elected to Legislative Assembly/council.

The respondents were working as Khalasi and Meter Reader in the
F bokaro steel plant .of steel Authority of India. Appellant and respondents
filed their nomination papers for assembly elections. The Returning Officer
rejected the nomination papers of respondents on the ground that they were
the managing agents of the Steel Plant and hence they were disqualified
under section 10 of the Representation of People Act, 1951. Consequently,
G appellant was elected to the Assembly constituency. On challenge, High
court set aside the election of the appellant otl the ground that the nomination
papers of respondents were wrongly rejected. Hence the present appeals.

The contention of the appellant was that as the respondents were
holding the office of profit under the Central Government, their nomination
H papers were rightly rejected as the provisions of Article 191 (l)(a) of
362
A.R. MAHTO v. R. MAHTO 363
Constitution was attracted. A
Dismissing the appeals, this Court

HELD : 1. The High court was Justified in holding that the nomination
papers of the two respondents were wrongly rejected and hence the election
of the appellant was required to be set aside under Section 100 of the B
Representation of the people Act, 1951. (370-H; 371-A-BJ

2. The order of the Returning officer holding the nomination papers
filed by respondents invalid on the ground that they were employees of the
Steel Plant and they are the managing agents of the Steel plant is, on the
face of it, unsustainable. The posts of Khalasi and Meter Reader are non- C
executive posts. Section 10 disqualifies only the managing agent, secretary
or Manager of any company, in the capital of which the appropriate Government
has not Jess than 25% share holding. Obviously, neitlter of them is either
secretary or manager, A Managing agent is a person who has been entrusted
with the management of the whole or substantially the whole of the affairs
of a company. Quite clearly, neither of the respondents is in - charge of the D
affairs of steel plant and cannot be considered as managin"g Agent of the
Bokaro Steel plant. The rejection of the nomination papers of the two
respondence was , therefore, wholly erroneous. (365-E-H; 366-E]

3. The respondents cannot be considered as holding an office of profit
under the Central Government. The steel plant is under the management E
and control of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. This is a company incorporated
under the Companies Act. Undoubtedly, its shares are owned by the Central
Government. The Chairman and the Board of directors are appointed by the
president of India. However, the appointment and removal of workers in Steel
Plant is under the control of the Sted Authority of India Ltd.
F
Their remuneration is also determin\!d by the Steel Authority of India
Ltd, The functions discharged by the Steel Authority of India Ltd. or by the
steel plant cannot be considered as essential functions of the Government.
Amongst the objects of the Steel Authority of India of India Ltd. set out in
the Memorandum of Association are to carry on in India or elsewhere the G
trade or business of manufacturing, prospecting, raising, operating; buying,
selling, importing, exporting, purchasing or otherwise dealing in iron and
steel of all qualities, grades and types. These objects also include rendering
consultancy services to promote and organise an integrated and efficient
development of iron and steel industry and to act as an agent of the
Government/Public sector financial institutions, in the manner set out in the H
364 SUPREME COURT REPORTS . (1999) 2 S.C.R.

A objects clause. In this context a worker holding the post of a Khalasi or a
Meter Reader is not subject to the control of the Central Government nor
is the power of his appointment or removal exercised by the Central
Government. Control over his work is exercised not by the Government, but
by the Steel Authority of India Ltd. Thus the respondents were not disqualified
B under Article 191 (1) (a) of.the constitution of India. (370-D-HI

Gurugobinda Basu v. Sankari Prasad Ghosal and Ors., 119641 4 SCR
311; D.R. Gurushanthappa v. Abdul Khuddus Anwar and Ors., AIR (1969)
SC 744; Bihari/al Dobray v. Roshan Lal Dobrmy, (19841 t SCC 551 and
Satrucharla Chandrasekher Raju v. Vyricherla Pradeep Kumar Dev & Anr.,
c [1992) 4 sec 404, referred to.

State of Gujarat and Anr. etc. v. Raman Lal Keshav la/ Soni and Ors.
Etc., [1983) 2 SCC 33, held inapplicable.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 7538 of
1997 Etc.
D
From the Judgment and Order dated 17.10.97 of the Patna High Court
in E.P. No.5 of 1995 (R).

R. Sundravardhan, Prashant Kumar, Vijay Kumar, B.K. Sharma, Kumar
Parimal and A.V. Rao for the Appellant.
E
S.K. Verma, M.K. Choudhary and A. Sharan for the Respondent.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

MRS. SUJATA V. MANO HAR, J. These appeals have been filed under
Section 1 I 6A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. In January 1995
F the Election Commission of India issued a notification for election, inter alia,
to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Bihar. The last date for filing
nomination papers for Bokaro Assembly Constituency No.279 was 23.1.1995.
The appellant and the respondents in the two appeals filed their nomination
papers from the Bokaro Assembly Constituency. Scrutiny of nomination papers
G took place on 24.1.1995 .• The nominations of the respondents in the two
appeals were rejected on the ground that the respondents Rajendra Mahto
and Ashok Kumar Srivastava were Managing agents of Bokaro Steel Plant
belonging to the Steel Authority of India Ltd. Hence they were disqualified
under Section 10 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

H At the election, the appellant was elected from the Bokaro Assembly
A.R. MAHTO v. R. MAHTO {SUJATA V. MANOHAR. J.] 365

Constituency. The two respondents filer. separate election petitions challenging A
the election of the appellant on the ground that their nomination papers were
improperly rejected. They have succeeded in the election petitions before the
High Court. The High Court has set aside the election of the appellant on the
ground that the nominatien papers of the two respondents were wrongly
rejected. The appellant has filed the present appeals from the decision of the B
High Court in the two election petitions.

The responde'nt-Rajendra Mahto (in Civil Appeal No. 7538 of 1997) was
working as a Khalashi in the Bokaro Steel Plant of the Steel Authority of India
Ltd. at the material time. This is a Level-III post in the said plant. The
respondent-Ashok Kumar Srivastava ( in Civil Appeal No.7644 of 1997) was C
working as a Meter Reader in the Bokaro Steel Plant of the Steel Authority
of India Ltd. This is Level VII post. The Steel Authority of India Ltd. is a
company in which the entire share holding is held by the Union Government.
Section IO of the Representation ofthe People Act, 1951 provides as follows:-

"Disqualification for office under Government company.--A person D
shall be disqualified if, and for so long as, he is a managing agent,
manager or secretary of any company or corporation (other than a co-
operative society) in the capital of which the appropriate Government
has not less than nventy-five per cent share."

The Returning Officer for 279-Bokaro Legislative Assembly Constituency E
in his order has held the nomination papers filed by Rajendra Mahto and
Ashok Kumar Srivastava invalid on the ground that the two respondents are
employees of the Bokaro Steel Plant and they are the managing agents of the
Bokaro Steel Plant. Hence they are disqualified under Section 10 of the

- Representation of Pe~ples Act, 1951.

The .order of the Returning Officer is, on the face of it, unsustainable.
Rajendra Mahto whq was at the post of a Khalashi which is at level L-III in
F

the gradation of workers, is holding a non- executive post. Ashok Kumar
Srivastava who was· working dS a Meter Reader was working at level L-VII.
Both these posts are non-executive posts. Section 10 disqualifies only the G
Managing Agent, Secretary or Manager of any company, in the capital of
)
which the appropriate Government has not less than 2S% share holding.
Obviously, neither of them is either Secretary or Manager. A Managing Agent
is a person who has been entrusted with the management of the whole or
substantially the whole of the affairs of a company. Managing agencies have
been abolished with effect from 3rd of April, 1970 by reason of the Companies H
366 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999] 2 S.C.R.

A Act being amended by Act XVII of 1969. The Companies Act contains the
following definition of a Managing Agent under Section 2(25) of the Companies
Act, 1956:-

"2(25)- "Managing agent" means any individual, film or body corporate
entitled, subject to the provisions of this Act, to the management of
B the whole, or substantially the whole, of the affairs of a company by
virtue of an agreement with the company, or by virtue of its
memorandum or article of association, and includes any individual,
firm or body corporate occupying the position of a managing agent,
by whatever name called;
c Explanation I - For the purposes of this Act, references to "managing
agent" shall be construed as refer~nces to any individual, firm, or
body corporate who, or which, was, at any time before the 3rd day
of April,
.
1970, the managing agent
/
of any company;

D Explanation II - For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that
notwithstanding anything contained in section 6 of the Companies
(Amendment) Act, 1969, t~is clause shall remain, and shall be deemed
always to have remained, in force."

Quite clearly, neither of the respondents is in-charge of the affairs of /
E Bokaro Steel Plant and cannot be considered as Managing Agent of the
Bokaro Steel Plant. The rejection of the nomination papers of the two
respondents was, therefore, wholly erroneous.

The appellant, however, contended in the election petition that even if
F Section 10 of the Representation of the People Act, 19 51 may not be attracted,
the provisions of Article 191 of the Constitution are applicable to the two
respondents and hence their nomination paper was rightly rejected. Under
Article 191 (I )(a) it is provided as follows:-

"Article 191 - (l) A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as,
G and for being, a member of the Legislative Assembly or Legislative
Council of a State - ·

(a) lfhe holds any office of profit under the Government of.India
or the government of any State specified in the First Schedule,
other than an office declared by the Legislature of the State by
H law not to disqualify its holders."
A.R. MAHTO v. R. MAHTO ISUJATA V. MANOHAR, .T.] 367
Can either of the two respondents be considered as holding any office A
of profit under the Government of India? In the case of Gurugobinda Basu
v. Sankari Prasad Ghosal and Ors. (1964 (4) SCR 311) the Court after examining
earlier authorities enumerated various factors which enter into the detennination
of the question whether a person holds an office of profit under the
Government. He holds an office of profit under the Government if the
Government is: (1) the appointing authority; (2) the authority vested with B
power to terminate the appointment; (3) the authority which determines the
remuneration; (4) the source from which the remuneration is paid and (5) the
authority vested with power to control the manner in which the duties of
office are discharged. All factors need not be present. Whether stress will be
laid on one factor or the other will depend on the facts of each case. But C
where several elements are present in a given case then the officer in question
holds the office under the authority so empowered. This Court pointed out
that the Constitution itself makes a distinction between "the holder of an
office of profit under the Government" and "the holder of a post or service
under the Government" (See Articles 309 and 314). The Constitution has also
made a distinction between "the holder of an office of profit under the D
Government" and "the holder of an office of profit under a local or other
authority subject to the control of the Government" (See Article 58(2) and
66(4). In Gurugobinda Basu's case (Supra), the appellant was a chartered
accountant. He was a partner of a firm of auditors. This firm acted as auditors
of two companies amongst others. One of the companies was wholly owned E
by the Union of India and the second company was wholly owned by the
West Bengal Government. The Court was required to consider whether the
. chartered accountant could be said to hold an office of profit under the
Government. In this context this Court said that an office of profit under the
Government need not imply that the person holding the office should be in

-· the service of the Government. There need not be any relationship of master
and servant. However, in that case the chartered accountant was appointed
F

as an auditor of the two companies by the Central Government; he was
removable by the Central Government; the Comptroller and Auditor General
of India exercised full control over him and his remuneration was fixed by the
Central Government although it was paid by the companies concerned. In this G
situation the Court said that he wi;ts holding an office of profit under the
Government.

The same test was reiterated by this Court in the case of D.R.
Gurushanthappa v. Abdul Khuddus Anwar and Ors., AIR (1969) SC 744. The
tests spelt out in Gurugobinda Basu 's case (Supra) were relied upon in this H
368 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1999] 2 S.C.R.

A case. This Court further said that an indirect control by the Government of
the company in which the office of profit was held was not contemplated
under A1ti::le 191. In the case of Gurushanthappa (Supra) a Government
--
undertaking was transferred to a company registered under Companies Act.
The shares of the company were held by the Government. The candidate was
working as a Superintendent in the company. The power to appoint and
B dismiss an employee working as Superintendent did not vest in the Government.
The power to control a.nd give directions as to the manner in which duties
of office were to b.e performed .by that workman also djd not vest in the
Government. Even the. power· to determine the question of remuneration
payable to the workinan was not vested in the Government. In these
C circumstances, the indirect control exerciseable by the Government because
of its power to appoint Directors an.d to give general dir.ections to the
company could not make the post of Superintendent,. Safety Engineering
Department of the company an office of profit under the Government.

The Court dealt with Article 191 (I )(a) of the Constitution along with
D Section I0 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. It said that the
·. disqualification laid down under Article l9l{l)(a) of the Constitution is not
intended to apply to the holder of an offi<;:e of profit of a company under the
control of the Government. It is Section 10 of the Represe_ntation of People
Act, 1951, which deals with the holding of an office of profit in .a company
E in the capital of which the Government has not less than 25% shares, Otherwise
this section will be redundant. Also, Parliament when passing the Act did not
consider it necessary to disqualify every person holding an office of profit
under a Government Company. It limited the disqualification to persons holding
the office of Managing Agent, Manager or Secretary of such a company.
Therefore, the fact that the entire share capital in a company is owned by the
F Government does not obliterate the distinction between Article 19l(l)(a) of
the Constitution and Secti.on 10 of the Representation of the People Act, 195 I.

However, in the later case of Bihari/al Dobray v. Roshan Lal Dobray
[1984] 1 SCC 551 (at page 569) this Court said that even though the
G incorporation of a body corporate may suggest that the statute intended it
to be a statutory corporation independent of the Government, it is not
conclusive on the question whether it is really so independent. Sometimes the
fonn may be that of a body corporate independent of the Government. But
in substance it may be just the alter ego of the Government itself. The true
test of determination .of the said question depends upon the degree of control
H the Government has over it, the extent of control exercised by several other
A.R. MAHTO v. R. MAHTO {SUJAT AV. MANO HAR, J.] 369

bodies or committees over it and their composition, the degree of its A
dependence on Government for its financial needs and its functional aspect,
namely, whether the body is discharging any important governmental function
or just some function which is merely optional for the Government. In Biharilal
Dobray a teacher who was employed by the Board of Basic Education under
)
the U.P. Basic Education Act, 1972 was considered as holding an office of B
profit under the State on the ground that the U.P. Basic Education Act
discharged an important responsibility of the Government to provictt primary
education in the State. The Act enabled the State Government to take over
all basic schools which were being run by the local bodies in the State and
to manage them as provided under the Act; as also to administer all matters C
.pertaining to the entire basic education in the State through the Board. The
teachers and other employees were to be appointed in accordance with Rules
by officers who were themselves appointed by the Government. The disciplinary
proceedings in respect of the employees were subject to the final decision of
the State Government. In these circumstances, the post of a teacher under the
U.P. Basic Education Act was an office of profit under the Government. D

In the case of Satrucharla Chandrasekhar Raju v. Vyricherla Pradeep
Kumar Dev and Anr. [1992] 4 SCC 404, however, the post of a teacher of a
school run by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) which was
a registered society, was held not to be an office of profit under the Government. E

- The Government by its order had directed that all the educational institutions
in the ITDA shall be brought under the unified control of the education
department. The Government accorded sanction for creation of posts and
funds for meeting the expenditure. The project officer of the ITDA who was

- also the District Collector alone appointed teachers and had the power to F
remove them. The Court said that the dep:ree and extent of control of the
Government had to be examined on the facts of each case. Although
Government had some control over the ITDA, it was a registered society
having its own constitution. The project officer and not the Government had
the power to appoint and remove teachers. The whole scheme was set up for G
the welfare of tribals and it was entrusted to ITDA, an authority by itself,
subject to the control of the Government in certain respects just like any other
local authority. Therefore, taking a practical view it could not be said that the
teacher was holding an office of profit under the Govemm~nt.

We need not examine more authorities, since the principles for applying H
370 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [l 999) 2 S.C.R.

A Article 191(1)(a) appear to be well settled.

The appellant, however, relied upon State of Gujarat and Anr. etc. v.
Raman Lal Keshav Lal Soni and Ors. etc., [1983] 2 SCC 33 which was a
decision of a Constitution Bench of this Court. This decision was not
B concerned with Article 191 (l )(a). This Court, however, was required to decide
whether ex-municipal employees who were allotted to the Panchayat Service
of the State Government had the status of Government servants. The Court
examined the provisions of the Gujarat Panchayats Act, 1961 and held that
the panchayat service constituted under Section 203 of the Gujarat Panchayats
Act is a civil service of the State and the members of the service are
C Government servants. We fail to see how this judgment can be applied to the
facts of the present case.

The Bokaro Steel Plant is under the management and control of the
Steel Authority of India Ltd. This is a company incorporated under the
D 'Companies Act. Undoubtedly, its shares are owned by the Central Government.
The Chairman and the Board of Directors are appointed by the President of
India. However, the appointment and removal of workers in Bokaro Steel Plant
is under the control of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. Their remuneration
is also detennined by the Steel Authority of India Ltd. The functions discharged
by the Steel Authority of India Ltd. or by the Bokaro Steel Plant cannot be
E considered as essential functions of the Government. Amongst the objects
of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. set ou~ in the Memorandum of Association
are to carry on in India or elsewhere the trade or business of manufacturing,
prospecting, raising, operating, buying, selling, importing, exporting,
purchasing or otherwise dealing in iron and steel of all qualities, grades and
F types. These objects also include rendering consultancy services to promote
and organise an integrated and efficient development of iron and steel industry
and to act as an agent of the Government/public sector financial institutions
in the manner set out in the Objects clause. In this context a worker holding
the post of a Khalashi or a Meter Reader is not subject to the control of the
G Central Government nor is the power of his appointment or removal exercised
by the Central Government. Control over his work is exercised not by the
Government, but by the Steel Authority of India Ltd. The respondents cannot,
therefore, be considered as holding an office of profit under the Central
Government.

H The High Court, therefore, was right in holding that the nomination
A.R. MAHTO v. R. MAHTO {SUJATA V. MANOHAR, J.] 371
papers of the two respondents were wrongly rejected and hence the election A
of the appellant was required to be set aside under Section I 00 of the
Representation of the People Act, l 951. In the premises the appeals are
dismissed with costs.

S.V.K.I. Appeal dismissed.
B

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