Pune, 5th February 2026: Around 7,500 lawyers exercised their right to vote in the annual election of the Pune Bar Association (PBA) on Wednesday. The official voters’ list had approximately 14,500 registered lawyers, indicating a turnout of nearly 50 per cent.
From early morning, a large number of lawyers gathered at the polling centre. However, the voting process was slow, and many voters had to wait in queues for nearly one-and-a-half to two hours. Due to the long wait, some lawyers chose to leave without voting, while many others stayed and completed the process despite the inconvenience.
Several lawyers expressed dissatisfaction with the overall planning and management of the election. “The voting arrangements were poorly managed,” said one voter, adding that the process lacked discipline and transparency. Many lawyers felt that better organisation and clearer systems were required for an election of this scale.
Voting was held for the posts of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Auditor. The 15 executive committee members had already been elected unopposed earlier. After polling concluded, vote counting began late in the night.
Meanwhile, the election process has come under scrutiny after a video allegedly showing bogus voting went viral on social media. In the video, a voter is seen casting votes on four to five ballot papers, leading to allegations of malpractice.
“Such incidents damage the credibility of the election,” a lawyer remarked, calling for stricter rules, better monitoring, and the use of technology to prevent irregularities in future elections.
