NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC on Thursday deferred the Shahdara Bar Association elections to May 24 citing logistical and financial concerns. The elections were originally scheduled to take place on May 9. The decision came from a full bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh, Navin Chawla and C Hari Shankar.
The Court was acting on a report submitted by Justice Talwant Singh (Retd.), who chairs the Shahdara Bar Association Election Committee.Justice Singh, in his report to the Registrar General, raised serious concerns over the availability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the estimated expenditure for conducting the elections.
He informed the Court that the EVMs initially planned for use were being allocated to the Saket Bar Association on May 9. However, Delhi University, the provider of these machines, had expressed willingness to supply them on May 24 instead. Justice Singh emphasised that holding elections using paper ballots would be both complicated and financially burdensome.
He strongly recommended the use of EVMs as a more viable and cost-effective alternative. The report also estimated that the total cost of the elections would range between Rs 20 to Rs 25 lakh. To meet this, the Chairperson had asked all 34 contesting candidates to contribute `65,000 each to the Election Committee’s bank account.
After reviewing the report and hearing all parties, the Court accepted the Chairperson’s recommendation and ordered the postponement of the polls to May 24. It further directed that all candidates, must deposit the required amount by May 13. The Court also instructed the Saket Bar Association Election Committee to promptly release the EVMs once vote counting is completed.