Delhi High Court Postpones Conduct Of Shahdara Bar Association Elections To May 24

The Delhi High Court on Thursday postponed the conduct of Shahdara Bar Association elections to May 24. The polls were scheduled to be held on May 09.

The order was passed by a full bench comprising Justice Prathiba M Singh, Justice Navin Chawla and Justice C Hari Shankar.

Justice Talwant Singh (Retd.), Chairperson of the Shahdara Bar Association Election Committee, had submitted a report yesterday to the Registrar General raising certain difficulties being faced in the conduct of the polls. He said that there were issues regarding availability of EVMs as well as expenses for the conduct of elections.

In its report, the Chairperson said that the EVMs from the Delhi University were being requisitioned to Saket Bar Association On May 09 but the varsity was willing to make the same available for May 24.

The Chairperson thus recommended that conducting the elections through paper ballot would be extremely complex and expensive and thus, the same must be conduct through EVMs.

He further said that the total expense for the conduct of the polls would be around Rs. 20-25 lakh and thus, he had requested 34 contesting candidates to contribute Rs. 65,000 each in the bank account of the Election Committee.

Perusing the report and hearing the parties, the Court accepted the recommendation of the Chairperson and directed that the polls be postponed to May 24.

The Court further directed that the expenses for the elections shall be deposited by the contesting candidates, including those contesting for the post of treasurer.

The Bench directed that all the candidates shall make the contribution by May 13, while also adding that those who failed to do so will not be allowed to contest the elections.

“The Saket Bar Association Election Committee shall release the EVMs immediately after counting of votes is concluded so that the Delhi University can make them available to the Shahdara Bar Association Election Committee,” the full bench said.

It further added that its previous directions regarding deployment of police force for the polls, installation of cctv cameras, procurement of EVMs and counting of votes shall continue to apply for the elections to be held on May 24.

On May 05, the bench had directed the Delhi Police to take strict action against anyone, either lawyer or non-lawyer, who causes obstruction or disturbance in the conduct of Shahdara Bar Association elections.

It had further said that the election area shall be covered by CCTV and one feed of the same will be given to the concerned DCP who may use it for taking action, if any required.

Furthermore, the Bench had ordered that the police personnel will safeguard the ballot boxes after elections are conducted by the Election Committee.

It had further directed that on the counting day, no one except the contesting candidates and their one representative each shall be allowed to remain inside the Karkardooma Courts premises. Everyone else shall remain outside the campus of Karkardooma Courts, it added.

The Court was dealing with a plea in which directions were issued from time to time regarding conduct of elections to the Delhi High Court Bar Association as also the various Bar Associations in the District Courts.

Pursuant to Court order, elections to all the Bar Associations were concluded on March 21, except in respect of the Saket and Shahdara Bar Associations which were called off due to various reasons.

Title: LALIT SHARMA AND ORS v. UNION OF INDIA & ORS

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 525