CHENNAI: Advocate K Kathiravan was elected unopposed as Chairman of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and E Balamurugan was elected as Vice-Chairman, after both emerged as the sole candidates for the respective posts.
The election to the 23-member Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, held on April 30, concluded after an 86-day counting process, with the results being declared on July 21.
A total of 143 advocates contested the election, which recorded an 81 per cent voter turnout across 168 polling stations in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. As per the election rules, at least five women advocates were required to be elected to the 23-member Bar Council. Under the preferential voting system, candidates securing the required quota of 3,001 votes were declared elected.
The newly elected Bar Council comprises 18 male advocates — P Amalraj, RC Paul Kanagaraj, E Balamurugan, G Mohana Krishnan, C Paraneedharan, K Balu, among others — and five women advocates. Advocates D Prasanna, L Sumathi and three other women advocates were elected to fulfil the mandatory representation for women.
In accordance with a Supreme Court order, Madras High Court Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari had appointed retired High Court judge Justice VM Velumani and advocate Sudarshana Sundar as two women members to be co-opted into the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Meanwhile, an election to choose the Chairman and Vice-Chairman from among the elected members of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was scheduled to be held on September 16. The filing of nominations for the posts took place on Tuesday, with the deadline set at 1 p.m. By then, advocate K Kathiravan had filed his nomination for the post of Chairman, E Balamurugan for Vice-Chairman, and PS Amalraj for the post of member of the Bar Council of India.
As no other candidates filed nominations for these posts, all three were declared elected unopposed by Justice KN Basha, the election officer.