Section 54:
Election of Adhyaksha and Up-Adhyaksha.
(1) The elected members of the Zilla Parishad
referred to in section 50 shall, as soon as may be, elect two members from amongst themselves to be
respectively Adhyaksha and Up-Adhyaksha thereof and so often as there is a casual vacancy in the Office
of the Adhyaksha and Up-Adhyaksha, they shall elect another member from amongst themselves to be
Adhyaksha or Up-Adhyaksha, as the case may be:
Provided that no election shall be held if the vacancy is for period of less than one month.
(2) The State Government, shall in the prescribed manner reserve--
(a) such number of offices of the Adhyaksha and Up-Adhyaksha of Zilla Parishad in the State for
persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes shall as nearly as may be, the same
proportion to the total number of offices in the Zilla Parishad as the population of the Scheduled
Castes or of the Scheduled Tribes in the State bear to the total population of the State;
(b) not less than one-third of the total number of offices of Adhyaksha and Up-Adhyaksha in the
State from each category which are reserved for persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the
Scheduled Tribes and those which are unreserved, for women:
Provided that the offices reserved under this section shall be allotted by rotation to different Zilla
Parishads.
(3) Save as otherwise provided in this Act, the Adhyaksha or Up-Adhyaksha shall hold office for the
term of office of the members of the Zilla Parishad