After a fortnight of counting, the results of the Delhi Bar Council elections were formally announced today.

The elections, which concluded on December 3, saw a month of aggressive campaigning by the candidates. The two-phase elections, held in the traditional ballot format, saw a turnout of approximately 20,000 lawyers, accounting for about 50 percent of the lawyer population in Delhi.

Several of the candidates came up with innovative campaigning strategies in a bid to stand out amongst the 129 lawyers competing in the elections. Tried and abused this season were the messaging services and calls. Sudhir Kumar, an advocate at Aswal Associates, says that he was the recipient of at least ten messages on a daily basis. He comments, "It looks like candidates had a large budget this time. We were getting more than 10 messages from a single candidate."

Luthra & Luthra's Litigation Partner in Delhi, and Society of Indian Law Firms nominee, Vijay Sondhi, one of the 25 successful candidates, started his campaign on social networking site Facebook earlier in October. Candidates Ranjan Kumar Pandey and Rakesh Chugh also campaigned using the electronic media.

The spotlight has been focused on Sondhi, as the sole law firm candidate, throughout these elections. Sondhi had previously stated that he was confused by public perception of his candidature as a battle between law firms and practicing advocates. Speaking to Bar & Bench today, Sondhi revealed some ambitious plans. "Lawyers have voted for change," he claims. "We will change the face of the Bar Council. Irrespective of whether I am from a law firm or not, we have to think of the good of all the lawyers. The system needs to change, it is a herculean task and this is just the beginning," he adds, seeming confident of his ability to bring about said change.

Expressing his delight at Sondhi's win, Rajiv Luthra, Managing Partner of Luthra & Luthra, said, "This is a great win for all law firms, because now there will be a combined effort [on the part of law firms and litigators] for the holistic practice of law. This is how the practice of law works in other countries. This is a step forward into the future, and I am happy to have supported this initiative."

Being a member of the Bar Council Executive Committee is apparently a lucrative post and one that enjoys the goodwill of the judiciary. Therefore, rumors that candidates have spent upwards of Rs. 50 Lakh ($109,000) for the campaign, might be true.

The General Secretary, Supreme Court Lawyers Discussion Forum, speaking to Bar & Bench, said, "We should ensure that our lawyers who get elected do not turn out to be like politicians whom we see only during elections. One member who is standing to be elected is a de facto member at the Wakf Board and there is a tough fight involving a lot of money."

The counting, which finished today, was presided over by Retired Justice S.K. Mahajan, who also supervised the elections, which were held on the premises of the Delhi High Court and the Tis Hazari District Courts.

Abhay Kumar, K.K. Manan, Murari Tiwari, R. Gupta, Ved Prakash Sharma, R.S. Goswami, Rakesh Sehrawat, Rakesh Tikoo, R.K. Kocchar and Suryaprakash have been confirmed as the top ten candidates. The other successful candidates include Sarla Kaushik, R.S. Chauhan and J.S. Nagar.

Incumbent Chairman Ved Prakash Sharma also expressed his commitment to working for the welfare of all lawyers, saying, " We will uphold the dignity, respect and grace of this profession."