Vol. 17, Part II · pages 496–500

471ALL INDIA SCHEDULED CASTES FEDERATION 8. Members will not be permitted to take part in any proceedings to which they may otherwise be entitled to if they fail to pay their fees. PART VIII Election ARTICLE XIX 1. The election to the Village Federation Committee, Taluka Federation Committees and the District Federation Committees and for the office of the Chairman shall be by simple majority. 2. The election to the All-India Committee of the Federation and for the office of the President shall be by simple majority. ARTICLE XX 1. The office of a member of any Committee or Board or Tribunal constituted under this Constitution, shall be vacated by resignation, removal or death. 2. All vacancies shall, unless otherwise provided for, be filled in the same manner in which the vacating member was chosen and members so elected shall hold office for the unexpired term of the seat vacated. 3. In the absence of any provision to the contrary, a Committee or Board or Tribunal, once it is properly constituted, shall not become invalid by reason of any vacancy in it. ARTICLE XXI The term of every Committee, every Executive Committee and its office bearers shall be two years. PART IX Election Disputes ARTICLE XXII 1. The State Federation Committee shall at its first general meeting, appoint by a majority of at least three-fourths of its members present and voting a State Election Tribunal consisting of not less than three and not more than five persons.

472 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 2. If any State Federation Committee fails to appoint a Election Tribunal as aforesaid, the Working Committee of the State shall appoint an Election Tribunal for that State. 3. Every State Election Tribunal shall hold office ordinariiy for two years but, in any event, shall continue to function till a new tribunal is appointed. 4. A member of an Election Tribunal shall not, while he is such member, hold any elective office in the Federation or stand as a candidate for any election. 5. The Central Executive Committee shall have superintendence over the State Election Tribunal. 6. The Central Executive Committee shall make rules for the conduct of business of the Election Tribunals. The State Election Tribunal may also make regulations not inconsistent with the rules made by the Working Committee for the conduct of business. ARTICLE XXIII 1. There shall be an Election Tribunal for each State. 2. It shall be open to any candidate within a constituency to lodge a complaint, in accordance with the rules made in that behalf, in respect of any election in that constituency, before the State Tribunal within fifteen days of the declaration of the result of such election and the District Election Tribunal shall decide the complaint and communicate the decision to the parties concerned as expeditiously as possible. 3. Until an election is set aside by the Election Tribunal, the person elected shall be deemed to have been duly elected. 4. The State Election Tribunal shall on its own motion or on the motion of the State Federation Committee or on the motion of the party concerned, have the power to direct that any person found guilty of misconduct in connection with any election, maintenance of a register and the rolls of members, lodging of a false complaint or objection knowing it to be so, shall be disqualified from standing as a candidate for election or be expelled from the Federation for a period to be named.

473ALL INDIA SCHEDULED CASTES FEDERATION 5. Wherever fraudulent election is reported, the Working Committee concerned may enquire into such complaints and may take such action as may be deemed necessary. ARTICLE XXIV 1. The State Federation shall each year at the first meeting after the 30th June appoint by a majority of at least threefourths of its members present and voting, a State Returning Officer. 2. If any State Federation Committee fails to appoint a State Returning Officer as aforesaid the Central Executive Committee shall appoint a State Returning Officer. 3. The State Returning Officer shall conduct elections to all constituent bodies of the Federation in the State. He shall in consultation with the Executives of the State Federation and the District Federation Committees appoint District Returning Officers, Taluka Returning Officers and Village Returning Officers and such other officers for the proper conduct of elections in the State. He shall also perform such other functions allotted to him by the Central Executive Committee from time to time. PART X Selection of Candidates ARTICLE XXV 1. The Central Executive Committee shall set up a Board consisting of the President and five other members, with the President as its Chairman for the purpose of selecting candidates for election to the Central and State Legislatures and shall frame rules in that behalf. 2. The Election Board shall invite Local Committees of the Federation to propose names. The Board shall prepare a list of candidates in the order based, support received by the candidates. 3. The Board in making its selection shall have regard to support received by the candidate. But it shall not be bound to elect the first.

474 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 4. The Central Election Board shall set up an Election Committee for each State to deal with the Elections to Local Bodies including selection of candidates and frame rules for the Committee. 5. The State Election Committee shall recommend candidates for Central and State Legislatures to the Central Election Board. PART XI Miscellaneous ARTICLE XXVI 1. The flag of the Federation shall consist of stars against a blue cloth cut in triangle. 2. No person shall be a member of two organisations within Federation at one and the same time. 3. A federation Committee may delegate any of its powers smaller committee or an individual. 4. Population figures of the last available census shall be for all Federation purposes. 5. Where there is a question of the value of fractions, a fraction of one-half or more shall be treated as one, and less than one-half as zero. 6. Wherever in this Constitution, the word “vote” or any inflections occurs, it means or refers to a valid vote. 7. Any question or dispute arising under this Constitution regard to its provisions, contents, interpretation or the procedure laid therein, between any member and member, committee between committee inter se, shall be determined by the apropriate authority or authorities indicated in this Constitution, and if no such authority is indicated, by the Central Executive Committee. The decision of such authority shall be final and binding on all members and committees of the Scheduled Castes Federation, and shall not be liable to question by any of them in a Court of law.

475ALL INDIA SCHEDULED CASTES FEDERATION PART XII Amendment of the Constitution ARTICLE XXVII 1. This Constitution can be amended, altered or added to only by two-thirds majority of All-India Committee of the Federation, and ratified by a majority of the State Federation. 2. The amendment whether by alteration or addition shall be circulated to the Chairman of the State Federation Committees in each State and obtain their decision in the matter. 3. The Committees shall decide the issue by simple majority. 4. On receipt of the decisions of the State Committees the President shall announce if the amendment is accepted or rejected. PART XIII Rules of Discipline ARTICLE XXVIII 1. Any member of the Federation committing, any of the following acts shall be deemed to be guilty of indiscipline : (i) To act contrary to the declared policy of the Federation. (ii) To openly and publicly criticise the policy of the Federation. (iii) To openly and publicly criticise any member of the Federation. (iv) To form a group within the Federation to give support to any member with the object of challenging the authority of constitutionally elected leader of the Federation. (v) To spread ill-feeling against any member or to carry on any campaign of vilification. (vi) To obstruct the working of the Federation or any constituent body of the Federation. (vii) To misappropriate the funds of the Federation.