Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association Election Results Challenged

Advocate Chouhan Satvinder Singh Sisodia, one of the candidates who contested for the post of President of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association in the election held last month, has moved the high court challenging the results of the elections as well as the procedure followed for holding the polls.The matter is listed for hearing on Monday before a division bench of Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Vikram Aggarwal.Sisodia has urged the High Court to set aside the election for all the posts of the office bearers as well as executive members of the Bar Association. The elections were held on December 16 last year and the results were announced on December 18. Sisodia said ID cards were not checked on the day of the election and that the entire procedure was conducted in an ‘abrupt manner.’ Once the counting began, the ballots "were in the hands of a few people who were maliciously opening and making the bundles of the ballot papers." The petitioner has submitted that despite repeated requests, the counting of votes was not done by viewing it on a projector. The petition further states that due to grievances, many candidates did not sign the sheet of the result and signatures have still not been obtained. In connection with the election for the post of the Vice President, the petition states that upon first counting, a candidate who was declared winner by one vote, lost by 64 votes in the second counting, which showed "inconsistencies in the counting process". There was also discrepancy in the number of total votes cast, the plea alleges."The election conducted by the Election committee be cancelled, fresh election be conducted by constituting fresh election committee. An Ad-hoc committee be formed ... till the time fresh election are conducted. The Election Committee who got the illegal election conducted be burdened with cost for the fresh election," Sisodia has said in the petition. Case Title: Chouhan Satvinder Singh Sisodia v. Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana and Chandigarh and Others Citation: CWP No. 315 of 2023

Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association Election Results Challenged

Rahul Garg

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