Bar Council Poll Marred by Voter List Errors, Turnout Hovers Near 50% Voting for the Maharashtra and Goa Bar Council elections concluded peacefully on Tuesday, but widespread discrepancies in voter lists cast a shadow over the polling process. Officials and participating lawyers reported that multiple voters discovered their names were either missing from the electoral rolls or incorrectly listed in distant districts such as Mumbai and Nanded. Former High Court Bar Association (HCBA) office-bearer Pankaj Tidke found his name registered in Mumbai despite being listed under Nagpur’s lawyers’ rolls. Despite these administrative lapses, the estimated turnout in Nagpur district hovered near 50%. At the high court polling center, approximately 700 out of 900 registered voters cast their ballots. On the district court premises, seven polling booths recorded around 3,200 votes from nearly 7,000 registered voters. In total, about 4,100 urban voters participated out of an estimated 8,000, while rural turnout figures were still pending. The election holds significant importance for the legal community across Maharashtra and Goa, as the elected members will shape regulatory and professional decisions in the sector. A total of 23 members—18 men and five women—will be elected through this process. Additionally, two women advocates will be inducted as nominated members to the executive council post-election. From Vidarbha, experienced candidates such as Parijat Pande, Asif Qureshi, and Anil Govardipe, who previously served on the Bar Council, are competing. They face a group of first-time candidates, including Sagar Lambat, Sanjay More, Sandeep Nandeshwar, Vaishali Khedekar, Priyanka Chokhare, and Uma Bhattad, reflecting a blend of seasoned professionals and newcomers.#nagpur_district #maharashtra_bar_council #goa_bar_council #pankaj_tidke #high_court_bar_association
