Section 104 of Indian Companies Act 2013 "Chairman of meetings"
(1) Unless the articles of the company otherwise provide, the members personally present at the meeting shall elect one of themselves to be the Chairman thereof on a show of hands.
(2) If a poll is demanded on the election of the Chairman, it shall be taken forthwith in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the Chairman elected on a show of hands under sub-section (1) shall continue to be the Chairman of the meeting until some other person is elected as Chairman as a result of the poll, and such other person shall be the Chairman for the rest of the meeting.
(1) Any member of a company entitled to attend and vote at a meeting of the company shall be entitled to appoint another person as a proxy to attend and vote at the meeting on his behalf:
Provided that a proxy shall not have the right to speak at such meeting and shall not been titled to vote except on a poll:
Provided further that, unless the articles of a company otherwise provide, this sub-section shall not apply in the case of a company not having a share capital:
Provided also that the Central Government may prescribe a class or classes of companies whose members shall not be entitled to appoint another person as a proxy:
Provided also that a person appointed as proxy shall act on behalf of such member or number of members not exceeding fifty and such number of shares as may be prescribed.
(2) In every notice calling a meeting of a company which has a share capital, or the articles of which provide for voting by proxy at the meeting, there shall appear with reasonable prominence a statement that a member entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint a proxy, or, where that is allowed, one or more proxies, to attend and vote instead of himself, and that a proxy need not be a member.
(3) If default is made in complying with sub-section (2), every officer of the company who is in default shall be 1 [liable to a penalty of five thousands rupees].
(4) Any provision contained in the articles of a company which specifies or requires a longer period than forty-eight hours before a meeting of the company, for depositing with the company or any other person any instrument appointing a proxy or any other document necessary to show the validity or otherwise relating to the appointment of a proxy in order that the appointment may be effective at such meeting, shall have effect as if a period of forty-eight hours had been specified in or required by such provision for such deposit.
(5) If for the purpose of any meeting of a company, invitations to appoint as proxy a person or one of a number of persons specified in the invitations are issued at the company’s expense to any member entitled to have a notice of the meeting sent to him and to vote thereat by proxy, every officer of the company 2 [who issues the invitation as aforesaid or authorises or permits their issue, shall be liable to a penalty of fifty thousand rupees]:
Provided that an officer shall not be 3 [liable] under this sub-section by reason only of the issue to a member at his request in writing of a form of appointment naming the proxy, or of a list of persons willing to act as proxies, if the form or list is available on request in writing to every member entitled to vote at the meeting by proxy.
(6) The instrument appointing a proxy shall--
(a) be in writing; and
(b) be signed by the appointer or his attorney duly authorised in writing or, if the appointer is a body corporate, be under its seal or be signed by an officer or an attorney duly authorised by it.
(7) An instrument appointing a proxy, if in the form as may be prescribed, shall not be questioned on the ground that it fails to comply with any special requirements specified for such instrument by the articles of a company.
(8) Every member entitled to vote at a meeting of the company, or on any resolution to be moved thereat, shall be entitled during the period beginning twenty-four hours before the time fixed for the commencement of the meeting and ending with the conclusion of the meeting, to inspect the proxies lodged, at any time during the business hours of the company, provided not less than three days’ notice in writing of the intention so to inspect is given to the company.
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1. Subs. by Act 22 of 2019, s. 17, for "punishable with
fine which may extend to five thousand rupees" (w.e.f.
2-11-2018).
2. Subs. by Act 29 of 2020, s. 21, for certain words (w.e.f.
21-12-2020).
3. Subs. by s. 21, ibid., for "punishable" (w.e.f.
21-12-2020).
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the articles of a company may provide that no member shall exercise any voting right in respect of any shares registered in his name on which any calls or other sums presently payable by him have not been paid, or in regard to which the company has exercised any right of lien.
(2) A company shall not, except on the grounds specified in sub-section (1), prohibit any member from exercising his voting right on any other ground.
(3) On a poll taken at a meeting of a company, a member entitled to more than one vote, or his proxy, where allowed, or other person entitled to vote for him, as the case may be, need not, if he votes, use all his votes or cast in the same way all the votes he uses.