Kerala Bar Council Elections: Supervisory Committee Allows Kerala Advocates Practising In Supreme Court To Seek Inclusion In Voter List
The High-Powered Election Supervisory Committee constituted pursuant to the directions of the Supreme Court of India has permitted advocates enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala and practising in the Supreme Court to submit representations seeking inclusion of their names in the voter list for the polling booth proposed to be set up in the Supreme Court premises for the upcoming Bar Council elections.
The elections to the Bar Council of Kerala are scheduled to be held on April 17, 2026, under the supervision of a High-Powered Election Committee headed by Senior Advocate Rajiv Shakdher, in terms of the Supreme Court's order dated November 18, 2025 in W.P.(C) No. 1319/2023, by which various High-Powered Election Committees were constituted to conduct and monitor elections to different State Bar Councils.
A High-Powered Election Supervisory Committee, functioning as an appellate authority over the decisions of the State-level High-Powered Election Committees, has been constituted under the same order. The Supervisory Committee is presided over by former Supreme Court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, with former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Ravi Shankar Jha and Senior Advocate V. Giri as members. Advocate Udit Choudhary is assisting the Supervisory Committee as Legal Assistant.
In view of the proposed polling booth in the Supreme Court premises for advocates from Kerala practising before the apex court, certain advocates submitted representations to the Supervisory Committee stating that their names were not reflected in the voter register for the said polling booth and seeking inclusion in the list of eligible voters.
After hearing the concerned advocates, the Committee headed by Justice Dhulia directed that all such advocates may file their representations before the Bar Council of Kerala on or before April 11, 2026 by 12 noon. The Committee clarified that if the names of such advocates are already included in the final voter list, they shall be permitted to cast their votes at the Supreme Court polling booth.
The Supervisory Committee also appointed Ms. Pragya Baghel, Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, as the Additional Returning Officer to conduct polling at the Supreme Court premises.
Further, the Committee directed the Bar Council of India to circulate copies of the order to the Presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association to ensure that advocates enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala and practising before the Supreme Court are duly informed of the directions issued by the Court-appointed body.