The Bar Council of Delhi has released detailed voting guidelines for its February 20–22 elections, to be held through a single transferable vote system. A total of 23 seats are up for grabs, with 30% reservation for women advocates as per Supreme Court directions.
The Bar Council of Delhi on Wednesday issued detailed instructions to guide advocates who will be voting in the upcoming Bar Council elections scheduled to be held in February.
As per the notification issued earlier by the apex lawyers’ body, the Bar Council of India, the elections for the Bar Council of Delhi will be conducted on February 20, 21 and 22. These elections are being held in accordance with the provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961.
The instructions issued by the Bar Council of Delhi clarify that voting will take place for a total of 23 seats and the election process will follow the system of a
“single transferable preference vote.”
The council has clearly stated that voters must place their voting mark properly and clearly. It has warned that
“if the mark is so placed as to make it doubtful to which candidate the vote has been given, that vote will be invalid.”
The instructions further state that advocates participating in the election must not sign the ballot paper or put any symbol, mark, or sign through which their identity can be revealed. This is aimed at ensuring secrecy and fairness in the voting process.
It has also been clearly mentioned that
“A voter voting in person shall put the voting paper after voting into the ballot box. Voter voting by post is not applicable.”
This means that only physical voting is allowed, and postal ballots will not be accepted for the Bar Council of Delhi elections.
According to the list attached with the instructions, as many as 221 advocates have filed their nomination papers to contest for the 23 available seats in the Bar Council of Delhi.
New Delhi Bar Association secretary Tarun Rana also shared important information regarding reservation for women candidates in the elections. He stated that, as per the directions of the Supreme Court of India, 30 per cent of the total seats must be reserved for women candidates.
Explaining how this reservation will be implemented, Rana said,
“Five women will be elected for the 23 seats, while two more will be co-opted.”
This ensures that women advocates get adequate representation in the Bar Council, in line with the Supreme Court’s mandate.
The issuance of these instructions is aimed at ensuring a smooth, transparent, and fair election process for one of the most important representative bodies of advocates in the national capital.
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