Ex-SCBA President Aggarwala moves SC to defer bar body elections

Former SCBA President Adish C Aggarwala has moved the Supreme Court seeking to defer the upcoming bar association elections from August 18 to September 25, citing an insufficient timeline for electoral roll finalisation and campaigning.

Plea to Postpone SCBA Elections

Former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and Senior Advocate Dr Adish C Aggarwala has approached the Supreme Court seeking a modification of its July 15 order, urging that the 2026-27 SCBA elections be deferred from August 18 to September 25, 2026, contending that the present schedule does not provide sufficient time for finalisation of the electoral roll, disposal of objections, nominations and campaigning.

In an intervention application filed in the pending SCBA election matter, Aggarwala has also sought permission to intervene in the proceedings and requested the Court to consider his accompanying application seeking modification/clarification of the July 15, 2026 order and appropriate directions. He has further prayed for any other orders that the Court may deem fit in the interest of justice.

Arguments for Deferment

According to the application, the Court's earlier direction that polling should take place around August 18 was issued on the understanding that the electoral roll had already been finalised. However, the election notification issued on July 24 provides for publication of a tentative voters' list on July 27, invites objections until July 31, and schedules publication of the final voters' list only on August 4, indicating that the electoral roll was still under preparation.

The plea contends that members have effectively been given only four days to examine the tentative voters' list and file objections, with a very limited period available for their adjudication. It also argues that the compressed schedule leaves candidates with inadequate time to campaign before an electorate spread across the country.

Aggarwala states that he submitted representations to the Election Committee on July 23 and July 25 requesting that the issue be mentioned before the Supreme Court and that the polling date be rescheduled. He claims that despite these representations, the notified election schedule has remained unchanged.

Proposed Interim Arrangement

The application further proposes that, if the election is postponed, the Election Committee may temporarily supervise the day-to-day affairs of the SCBA, while the outgoing Executive Committee should be confined to routine and essential expenditure until a newly elected body assumes office.

Aggarwala, a former SCBA President and an intending candidate for the post of President in the forthcoming elections, has submitted that his intervention is necessary to assist the Court in ensuring a fair, transparent and legally sustainable electoral process for the apex court bar body. (ANI)

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