Senior advocate Adish C Aggarwala and former Delhi Bar Association president Rajiv Khosla are contesting for the post of chairman, which had been held by Rakesh Tiku since September 2010 until two months ago.

Fourteen bar council members are contesting for the chair or membership of 11 committees: OP Faizi, Rakesh Tiku, KK Manan, Puneet Mittal, Aman Sareen, Murari Tiwari, Jaibir Singh Nagar, Rana Parween Siddiqui, RS Goswami, Rakesh Kr Kochar, Rakesh Sherawat, Rajesh Mishra, Surya Prakash Khatri, and Jagdev.

Sondhi was facing Rakesh Sherawat, Amit Sharma and Puneet Mittal in the contest for the vice chair, but won uncontested when on 16 March the other three withdrew from the race.

Sondhi was then unanimously elected by 13 members of the Delhi bar council. In February 2010 Sondhi had lost out on securing a seat on the executive committee or senior positions in the council committee, after having been elected onto the council by Delhi advocates in December 2009.

Sondhi, the co-founding partner of Luthra’s litigation practice 14 years ago, said: “I was asked to contest on behalf of [law firms] but once you get elected you have to work for the benefit of each and every lawyer. The education, discipline and our website needs to be worked upon.”

He told Legally India that he intends to make the bar council’s website functional, organise educational seminars addressing the issue of dressing up and conduct for graduate entrants into litigation, as well as take steps to improving the placement of graduates who wish to enter into litigation instead of starting their careers at law firms.

“The complaints against lawyers, take more time to be addressed than desired,” he added. “They must be addressed within six months from the date of filing. That is very, very important. Of late the number of complaints has gone up.”

Jaibir Singh Nagar is the outgoing vice chairman.

KK Sareen was elected as the first chairman of the 2010-14 chairman, but after he passed away in July 2010 he was succeeded by runner-up Rakesh Tiku. OP Faizi was appointed temporary chairman for the past two months during the new election period.

The new committee will be voted in by the existing council members on 21 March between 4:15pm and 5:15pm.

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