(1) A general election subsequent to the first election shall be held for the purpose of constituting a new General Council before the expiration of the term of office of the members of the General Council as specified in section 17 or, in the case of its earlier dissolution, soon after such dissolution, on such day or days within a period of six months as the Government may fix.
Election of members.
General Election to General Council.
131 The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Act, 1988.
[West Ben. Act (Chapter 1.--Preliminary.—Sections 14-17.)
(2) The Government may issue such orders as it may consider necessary or expedient to give effect to the provisions of this Act in regard to the holding of the first election referred to in section 12 and in regard to any matter connected therewith or incidental thereto.
(3) If the office of an elected or nominated member becomes vacant by reason of his death, resignation or otherwise, the vacancy shall be filled by election or nomination, as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.
Validation. 14. Where the members elected at a general election are restrained from functioning on account of the election as a whole being set aside by order of a Court, anything done or any action taken by such members before they are so restrained or before the election is so set aside, as the case may be, shall be deemed to have been validly done or taken.
15. The names of all persons elected or nominated to the General Council shall be published by the Government in the Official Gazette and upon such publication, the General Council shall be deemed to have been duly constituted.
16. If an elected member is chosen to be a member of Parliament or of the State Legislature then, at the expiration of fourteen days from the date of publication in the Gazette of India or the Official Gazette of the declaration that he has been so chosen, the seat of such member in the General Council shall become vacant unless he has previously resigned his seat in Parliament or the State Legislature, as the case may be.