DHCBA Elections 2016: Who will be the next President?

In the midst of all the long-drawn litigation surrounding elections to the Delhi High Court Bar Association this year, the list of candidates for the post of the President has been finalised..In addition to the current President, Rajiv Khosla, former Bar Association Vice President and Secretary, Senior Advocate Kirti Uppal will also be contesting this year. Along with Khosla and Uppal, first time candidates Sunil Goel and Sunita Bharadwaj have also filed their nominations..Rajiv Khosla has been the driving force behind the legal proceedings regarding the elections for years now. By way of creating a stir by challenging the rules barring him from contesting for the post of the President again, Khosla has managed to hold office for an extended term..Khosla however believes that his actions are purely in the interest of the Bar and as well as the young lawyers who come to the Delhi High Court without a “godfather” or a strong family backing in the legal community..Kirti Uppal on the other hand states that his decision to run for President stems out of the fact that he himself is a first generation lawyer..He told Bar & Bench that,.“Maybe it’s my personal observation, but I have always witnessed how first generation lawyers have to struggle a lot and face quite a bit of discrimination. Over the time I have realized that this view stems from my own personal prejudices against the system.”.He aims to get rid of the apparent discrimination in the system against the young, new lawyers..“There are people telling you about all sorts of things they will do if they win. I don’t believe in making false promises. I think your actions should speak instead of your words.”.Sunita Bharadwaj, who is hopeful of becoming the first woman DHCBA President, believes that a strong Bar is the need of the hour. In a 29-point agenda, she promises to bring about several changes in the current conditions of the how the Bar Association functions. .“The present condition of the Bar is pathetic! It is very important that a woman President is elected this year. No common interest is being taken care of by the Bar and this is because of the people in office who are working for their self-interests.”.Three senior advocates – J.P Sengh, K.K. Sharma and Sunil Mittal have filed their nominations for the post of Vice President along with Prasanta Varma and Jatan Singh who is the current Vice President..The High Court’s corridors are also abuzz with people campaigning for the positions of the Executive Members, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer and the Joint Secretary..A common sentiment that seems to reverberate from all of the candidates is the focus on the welfare of the young lawyers. Shyam Sharma, a candidate for the post of the Secretary says,.“It is very important to focus on the aspects of development now. With special focus on the young crowd in the court and the infrastructure too. Buildings in the Court are not connected to each other. There is no properly functioning WiFi in the Delhi High Court. In this day and age, we need to move forward with technology and we should look for suggestions from the young lawyers for that.”.The elections are scheduled to be held on November 18.