Ludhiana: As the election authorities for District Bar Associations (DBA) elections are going ahead with the process, one of the candidates, who has got signatures of many candidates against the process, is set to move the Punjab and Haryana high court against the elections to be held on November 6. Meanwhile, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has come up with guidelines for the candidates contesting the elections.
Returning officer (RO) for the elections advocate Amardeep Bhatia said that voting would be held on November 6 and voters would cast their votes physically. He added that as per the directions of the bar council they were making preparations for the elections and voting would be held at the bar room and library and norms related to Covid-19 would be followed.
On the other hand, Harjot Singh Harikay, who is contesting the elections for president’s post and has opposed the elections, said that more than 10 contesting candidates have opposed elections till Covid-19 pandemic was there and moreover, the elections should be held as per the constitution of the DBA on December 20, subject to situation of the pandemic. He added that they request the bar council that first physical courts should start and needy advocates should be given monetary help, then they should talk about the elections process.
“We have decided that we will file a petition in the HC soon,” said Harikay.
meanwhile, the RO said as per the guidelines, no candidate was allowed to do canvassing by visiting houses of the electorate. The election officer said that besides as per the guidelines no candidates should conduct any social gathering for canvassing purposes, no candidate should allure voters by hosting parties or through other such means, Besides, no candidate shall print and distribute any hand bills for the purpose of canvassing, he added.
‘This time there will be 20 booths’
Assistant returning officer (ARO) Lalita Jain said that earlier they used to have five to seven polling booths in the bar room, but this time there will would be 20 such booths, 10 each in the library and the bar room, so that there was no crowding. She added that there would be separate booths for senior citizens and social distancing will would ensured.
Lalita further said that election timings were from 9am to 4.30pm and there would be lunch break from 12.30pm to 1pm. She added that counting of votes would start after polling and results would be declared on the same day.
Election officials said that there were 3,114 voters who were expected to vote in the elections.