Law firm lawyers turned out in force for the Maharashtra and Goa Bar Council elections, having left ALMT Legal partner Hitesh Jain confident of winning a seat by a comfortable margin.

A large number of senior partners and associates attended to vote from Mumbai law firms such as Kanga & Co, Khaitan & Co, LexJuris, Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe and Nishith Desai.

Around 15 ALMT lawyers were on the ground of the Mumbai University campus polling room yesterday (7 January) assisting Jain in the last leg of his campaign, the candidate (pictured) explained.

"It is going to be substantial," predicted Jain about the numbers of first preference votes he would get. "I would be surprised if I don't cross the four digit mark."

Shortly before the elections Jain had hoped for only 800 first preference votes.

He further added that by numbers of votes he might now even have a chance of making it to the top five candidates out of the 25 who will eventually win a place.

One Mumbai transactional partner told Legally India that he had gone to vote for the Maharashtra and Goa Bar Council for the first time.

"I voted for Hitesh," he said. "It's a bit of a solicitor versus advocate fight right now - out of the 130-odd people you didn't know too many people."

He added that many law firm lawyers and firms had organised their own transport to the polling station, although Jain's team had also offered to drive law firm lawyers interested in attending.

Jain is the only candidate from a large law firm and original side litigator running for the Maharashtra and Goa Bar Council.

Counting will commence from 22 January after the ballot boxes from all over the state have been collated centrally.

Luthra & Luthra partner Vijay Sondhi won the Delhi Bar Council elections in December.

Read our photo feature about Hitesh Jain's long road on the Bar Council campaign trail, up and down the states of Maharashtra and Goa.