When the elections to form executive bodies of different bar associations of Odisha were held simultaneously for the first time on March 24 last, following Supreme Court’s guidelines on “one bar, one vote,” the election to form the Executive Committee of the Khariar Bar Association turned controversial due to decision of a majority of the members not to participate in the election.
It is learnt from some members of the bar that the election could not be held properly due to internal squabbling between two groups- one practicing in the Criminal Court and the other in the Tehsil Court.
The members who abstained from voting have alleged that, there was every possibility of horse trading and interference of non-practicing advocates in the election process that forced them to withdraw from the election.
The existing executive committee of Khariar Bar made all preparations to held the election on the scheduled date and appointed senior advocate, Aprameya Panda as the Election Officer. Two members i.e. Pratap Kishore Jagat and Tulshiram Harijan filed nominations for the post of president. Likewise, other members also filed nominations for other posts. "But sensing horse trading and participation of non-practicing advocates in the election process, majority of the members decided to abstain, following which Pratap Jagat withdrew his nomination," revealed lawyer Rabindra Kumbhar. Except the nomination of Tulshiram Harijan for the post of president and Dinesh Tiwari for treasurer, nominations for all other posts were rejected on different valid grounds. However, the decision of most of the members to abstain from voting, turned the whole thing complicated.
A written complaint signed by 31 members of the Bar assigning all reasons to abstain from the election process, submitted to the election officer, has been forwarded by the election officer to the State Bar Council.
In the meanwhile, 49 members of the Bar including the aggrieved members who abstained from voting held a general body meeting of the Bar Association and formed an executive committee through selection and a resolution to this effect has been sent to the Bar Council for approval. On the contrary, Tulshiram Harijan and Dinesh Tiwari have been declared elected uncontested respectively as president and treasurer by election officer Aprameya Panda.
In a report submitted to the State Bar Council, Panda mentioned that the situation in the Khariar bar is tense; so election for fulfilling rest of the four posts of office bearers could not be held due to law and order issues. The decision now rests on the State Bar Council whether to recognise those elected uncontested or approve the selected ones.