Constitution of India, 1949
243C. Composition of Panchayats. —
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, the Legislature of a
State may, by law, make provisions with respect to the composition of
Panchayats:
Provided that the ratio between the population of the
territorial area of a Panchayat at any level and the number of seats in such
Panchayat to be filled by election shall, so far as practicable, be the same
throughout the State,
(2) All the seats in a Panchayat shall be filled by persons
chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the Panchayat area
and, for this purpose, each Panchayat area shall be divided into territorial
constituencies in such manner that the ratio between the population of each
constituency and the number of seats allotted to it shall, so far as
practicable, be the same throughout the Panchayat area.
(3) The Legislature of a State may, by law, provide for the
representation—
(a) of the Chairpersons of the Panchayats at
the village level, in the Panchayats at the intermediate level or, in the case
of a State not having Panchayats at the intermediate level, in the Panchayats
at the district level;
(b) if the Chairpersons of the Panchayats at
the intermediate level, in the Panchayats at the district level;
(c) of the members of the House of the People
and the members of the Legislative Assembly of the State representing
constituencies which comprise wholly or partly a Panchayat area at a level
other than the village level, in such Panchayat;
(d) of the members of the Council of States
and the members of the Legislative Council of the State, where they are
registered as electors within—
(i) a Panchayat area at the intermediate
level, in Panchayat at the intermediate level;
(ii) a Panchayat area at the district level,
in Panchayat at the district level.
(4) The Chairperson of a Panchayat and other members of a
Panchayat whether or not chosen by direct election from territorial
constituencies in the Panchayat area shall have the right to vote in the
meetings of the Panchayats.
(5) The Chairperson of—
(a) Panchayat at the village level shall be
elected in such manner as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide; and
(b) a Panchayat at the intermediate level or
district level, shall be elected by, and from amongst, the elected members
thereof.