Bhubaneswar: Lawyers across Odisha cast their votes Saturday as elections were held simultaneously in 157 bar associations across the state.
Since 2021, these elections have been held on a single day to ensure a streamlined and transparent voting process. The Odisha High Court has mandated that bar association elections be conducted annually on the last Saturday of March.
Under the “One Bar, One Vote, One Election” system, each lawyer is allowed to vote in only one bar association, reinforcing fairness and transparency in the electoral process.
Odisha High Court Bar Association
The Odisha High Court Bar Association is holding its elections today, with voting taking place for seven key positions. A total of 40 candidates are contesting, and around 4,750 lawyers are participating in the voting process. Polling began at 7:30 AM and will continue until 3:00 PM, with vote counting set to commence at 5:00 PM.
For the position of President, a three-way contest is underway between senior lawyers Manoj Mishra, Lalitendu Samantaray, and Surendranath Kar. Additionally, five candidates compete for each Vice President and Secretary position. The Joint Secretary and Assistant Secretary positions have four candidates in the fray, while six candidates are running for the Library Assistant Secretary post.
Moreover, thirteen candidates are vying for nine executive committee member positions. While the results for most positions will be declared today, the Executive Member results will be announced tomorrow, as per an election offical.
Bhubaneswar Bar Association
The Bhubaneswar Bar Association elections for the 2025-26 term commenced peacefully Saturday. Voting, which started at 7:30 AM, will continue until 3:00 PM. A significant voter turnout has been observed at the bar association premises, with members eagerly casting their votes. Vote counting will begin at 4:00 PM, according to an official source.
A total of 25 candidates are contesting this year, with as many as 4,105 voters deciding the results. For the President and Vice President positions, three candidates each are in the race: Ashok Kumar Chhotray, Ashok Kumar Patra, and Nanda Nandan Shatapathy for President, while Kabindra Kumar Barik, Ravi Prasad Nayak, and Sukanta Chandra Das are competing for the Vice President post.
For the Secretary post, Manoj Nayak and Satya Ranjan Senapati are contesting. Bhagyabati Rautray and Rashmiranjan Mohanty are running for Joint Secretary, while Jyotimayee Panda, Rashmibhushan Mukhee, and Satya Prakash Satapathy are competing for Assistant Secretary. The Treasurer position has Dipti Prakash Nanda and Hiten Nayak as candidates.
Additionally, 10 candidates are contesting for Executive Member positions, with only eight to be elected, as per election officer Pramod Kumar Pattnaik. To facilitate smooth voting, 10 booths have been set up, with 33 lawyers appointed for election management and vote counting, 20 for issuing voter slips, and another 20 for assisting the process.
Puri Bar Association
The Puri Bar Association is also conducting its election today, with polling beginning at 7:30 AM and continuing until 3:30 PM. Various positions being contested include:
- President: 2 candidates
- Secretary: 3 candidates
- Assistant Secretary: 3 candidates
- Vice President: 2 candidates
- Executive Members: 6 candidates
To ensure law and order, police personnel have been deployed at the venue.
The results for most positions are expected to be declared today, with Executive Member results being announced the following day.
PNN
