Revised Bar Council Election Schedule Announced for Punjab and Haryana
The State Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) has officially released a comprehensive revised election schedule following explicit directions from the Supreme Court of India. This significant development comes as the legal fraternity prepares for one of the most crucial electoral processes governing lawyers across both states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Key Election Dates and Timeline
The electoral process will commence with the publication of the final electoral roll on December 17, 2025, followed by the official election notification scheduled for December 24, 2025. The nomination filing process has been fixed for January 1 and 2, 2026, between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM each day.
According to the detailed schedule released on Tuesday, the scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on January 5, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The complete list of contesting candidates will be formally published on January 6, 2026, while candidates will have the opportunity to withdraw their nominations on January 9, 2026 during the same time frame of 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The election polling will be conducted in two distinct phases to ensure maximum participation from legal professionals across the region. The first phase of voting will occur on January 29, 2026, at the High Court and District Courts in Chandigarh. The second phase will follow on January 30, 2026, covering all District and Sub-Divisional Headquarters throughout Punjab and Haryana. Both polling sessions will run from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Oversight and Legal Framework
The entire election process will be supervised by Justice Jaishree Thakur (Retired), who has been appointed as the Returning Officer (RO). Justice Thakur, a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, released the election program after receiving approval from Justice Ranjit Singh (Retired), the current chairperson of the high-powered election committee.
All nomination-related activities, including filing and scrutiny, will be conducted at Law Bhawan in Sector 37-A, Chandigarh, which also serves as the official office of the Election Committee. This centralized location aims to facilitate smooth processing of election-related formalities.
The revised schedule has been issued in strict compliance with Para 12(I) of the Supreme Court's order dated November 18, 2025, in the case of M. Varadhan versus Union of India. The apex court has scheduled the next hearing in this matter for January 6, 2026, coinciding with the publication of the final candidate list.
Significance of Bar Council Elections
The State Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana represents the highest regulatory and licensing authority for lawyers practicing in both states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. These elections hold immense importance as they determine the leadership that will govern legal practice standards, professional ethics, and the overall development of the legal community in the region.
The two-phase polling system ensures that lawyers practicing across various districts and court complexes have adequate opportunity to exercise their voting rights without disrupting their professional commitments. This democratic process reinforces the autonomy and self-regulation principles of the legal profession while maintaining transparency in the electoral mechanism.
With the election dates now formally announced, legal professionals across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh can begin their preparations for this significant electoral exercise that will shape the future of legal administration in the region for the coming years.
