Abhay Kumar Chaturvedi has been elected the new president of the Jharkhand State Bar Council. In the election held on Wednesday, he defeated his rival, Nilesh Kumar, by a margin of five votes. Rinku Bhagat was elected vice-president, while Prashant Kumar Singh retained his position as a member of the Bar Council of India (BCI). Chief Returning Officer Justice Ambuj Nath formally announced the election results.
Polling for the posts of president, vice-president and BCI member began at 11.15 am at the Bar Council's office in Doranda, Ranchi. Apart from the 25 members of the State Bar Council, Advocate General Rohitashwa Roy also exercised his voting right, taking the total number of voters to 26.
The contest for the president's post was a direct fight between Abhay Kumar Chaturvedi and Nilesh Kumar. At the end of counting, Chaturvedi secured 15 votes against Kumar's 10. One vote was left blank. With a five-vote margin, Chaturvedi emerged victorious and was elected president of the Jharkhand State Bar Council.
Four candidates were in the fray for the vice-president's post. Rinku Bhagat secured the highest number of votes, 10, to win the election. His closest rival, M.K. Srivastava, received nine votes, while Madhulata secured four and Anil Mahto two. A total of 25 votes were polled for the post.
In the election for the BCI membership, Prashant Kumar Singh secured 18 votes, defeating Manoj Kumar, who received seven votes, and Sanjay Kumar Vidrohi, who secured one. With this victory, Singh retained his position as a BCI member for another term. He was already serving in the post.
Following the completion of polling and counting, Chief Returning Officer Justice Ambuj Nath formally declared the results. The announcement triggered celebrations among supporters of the winning candidates at the council premises. Advocates congratulated the newly elected office-bearers by presenting them with flower garlands.