Odisha Bar Associations Hold Debut ‘Single Day’ Elections

Cuttack: After much delay, elections to all bar associations affiliated to the Odisha State Bar Council (OSBC) got underway with all COVID-19 restrictions in place on Saturday.

The elections are being held to form the annual executive body of the bar associations for the remaining period of 2020-21.

This is the first time that the OSBC, which is the apex statutory body for the 167 affiliated bar associations in Odisha, is conducting the elections on a single day following the principle of “one bar, one vote”.

Though OSBC had scheduled to conduct the elections on March 28 this year, they were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and interim committees were constituted to run the affairs of the associations.

On August 17, the Orissa High Court had directed the OSBC to complete the process of election of all bar associations by December 15.