A total of 54 lawyers filed nominations for 12 positions in the Bar Association elections on Thursday. Withdrawal of nominations can be done on Friday. Voting will be held on February 19th and counting of votes on February 22nd. This time too, the election field features both new and familiar faces. These include Manmohan Kandwal, who has served as president 10 times. Anil Kukreti (Chini), who has been secretary six times and president once, and Rajiv Sharma Bantu, the previous president, are also vying for the president’s post.
Four lawyers are in the fray for both the president and secretary positions. The highest number of nominations, 10, were filed for the Three Plus positions. The electoral battleground in the Bar Association is once again set, with both old and new issues at play. A by-election for three positions was held here just a month ago. Even then, several prominent figures contested the elections.
Some individuals used the by-elections to test their capabilities and popularity for these annual elections. Some were successful, and many of them are now contesting the current elections. As far as the issues in these elections are concerned, the main issue this time too will be the construction of chambers for the lawyers.
Last year, lawyers staged a long protest regarding this issue. For about a month, the lawyers abstained from work and participated in the protest. The protest was called off only after receiving assurances from the Chief Minister.
