Bar associations polls held in Odisha

For the first time elections to form executive bodies of different bar association in Odisha were held simultaneously on Saturday.

There are 167 bar associations in the state, including that of the Orissa High Court Bar Association and elections to form their respective executive bodies were held peacefully under "one bar one vote" principle, informed the State Bar Council Secretary Jajati Keshari Samantsinghar.

Elections were held from 8 am to 2 pm. Counting of votes was taken up thereafter and was continuing.

"We are monitoring the elections across the state," Samantsinghar said adding there are over 50,000 advocates registered with the State Bar Council. Each bar has been provided with a list of advocates with their choice of bar to take part in the election.

Following Supreme Courts guidelines on "one bar one vote" and the Orissa High Courts ruling on this, the State Bar Council had issued a notification on February 24 to hold the elections in all bars except for those, whose terms of the executive council were not over.

The Orissa High Court, however, earlier this month made it clear that the annual elections of the entire bar associations should be held simultaneously on one day and preferably by March-end every year.