APHC010297262025 IINN TTHHEE HHIIGGHH CCOOUURRTT OOFF AANNDDHHRRAA PPRRAADDEESSHH AT AMARAVATI [3209]

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

TTUUEESSDDAAYY,, TTHHEE SSEEVVEENNTTEEEENNTTHH DDAAYY OOFF FFEEBBRRUUAARRYY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT TTHHEE HHOONNOOUURRAABBLLEE SSRRII JJUUSSTTIICCEE NNIINNAALLAA JJAAYYAASSUURRYYAA WRIT PETITION No: 15063 of 2025 Between:

1. PPAARRIITTAALLAA SSUURREESSHH RRAAOO,, SS//oo.. PPRRAASSAADD,, AAGGEEDD AABBOOUUTT 4466 YYEEAARRSS,, ADVOCATE, R/o. D. No.4-33,, EEAASSTT VVEEEERRAAYYAAPPAALLEEMM VVIILLLLAAGGEE,, DDAARRSSII MANDAL, PRAKASAMDISTRICT, A.P.

...PETITIONER AND

1. TTHHEE BBAARR CCOOUUNNCCIILL OOFF AAPP,, RREEPP.. BBYY IITTSS SSEECCRREETTAARRYY,, GGRROOUUNNDD FLOOR, HHIIGGHH CCOOUURRTT BBUUIILLDDIINNGGSS,, NNEELLAAPPAADDUU,, AAMMAARRAAVVAATTII,, ANDHRA PRADESH.

2. BBAARR AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN DDAARRSSII,, RREEPP.. BBYY TTHHEE SSEECCRREETTAARRYY,, DDAARRSSII,, PRAKASAM DISTRICT, A.P.

3. GGAADDDDII SSRRIINNIIVVAASSUULLUU,, TTHHEE EELLEECCTTIIOONN OOFFFFIICCEERR,, BBAARR AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN,, DARSI, DARSI, PRAKASAM DISTRICT, A.P.

4. PATTI VVEEEERRAA VVEENNKKAATTAA BBAASSAAVVEESSWWAARRAA RRAAOO,, AADDVVOOCCAATTEE,, BBAARR AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN,, DDAARRSSII,, RR//OO.. PPOODDIILLII RROOAADD,, DDAARRSSII VVIILLLLAAGGEE AANNDD MANDAL, PRAKASAM DISTRICT, A.P.

5. PPAALLLLEEPPAAGGAA PPRREEMM KKUUMMAARR,, AADDVVOOCCAATTEE,, BBAARR AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN,, DDAARRSSII,, RR//OO.. DDAARRSSII VVIILLLLAAGGEE AANNDD MMAANNDDAALL PPRRAAKKAASSAAMM DDIISSTTRRIICCTT,, AA..PP..

......RREESSPPOONNDDEENNTT((SS))::

Counsel for the Petitioner:

1. Mr.SRINIVASA RAO NARRA Counsel for the Respondent(S):

1. Mr.KALE VIJAYA RAJU 2. Mr.P NARAHARI BABU

3. Mr.K NARSI REDDY

4. Mr.T V JAGGI REDDY The Court made the following order:

The dispute in the present writ petition is with regard to Election for the post of President of Darsi Bar Association.

2. The petitioner is seeking to declare the 5^th respondent’s election to the said post on 19.05.2025 as illegal, arbitrary, discriminatory and violative of the Bar Council of the Andhra Pradesh Rules and further to declare that the petitioner is duly elected for the said post as he secured highest votes in the First Election conducted on 09.05.2025. A further direction to the 1^st respondent / Bar Council to take action against the respondent No.3 / Election Officer, who cancelled the Election conducted on 09.05.2025 was also sought for.

3. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner. Also heard learned counsel representing the counsel for the 1^st respondent. The 2^nd respondent entered appearance through Mr.T.V.Jaggi Reddy. However, the learned counsel represented that the 2^nd respondent took ‘No Objection’ from him. Be that as it may.

4. Mr.Narra Srinivasarao, learned counsel for the petitioner made submissions to impress upon the Court that the Election of the 5^th respondent for the post of President of Darsi Bar Association is illegal etc., and the same is liable to be declared as invalid. His foremost contention was that the Election which was initially conducted on 09.05.2025 was cancelled on the premise that more numbers of votes polled for ‘NOTA’, than the two contested candidates. He submits that the petitioner got more number of votes i.e., 9 than the respondent No.4, who got 7 votes, that the petitioner made a representation dated 10.05.2025 to the Election Officer to declare him as ‘elected’, as he got higher votes. He submits that ‘NOTA’ does not in any way effect the outcome of the Election and in fact ‘NOTA’ option was added in the Ballot paper even though as per Bar Council Rules, no ‘NOTA’ option is there. However, the said representation was considered, he adds.

5. The learned counsel further submits that subsequently on 14.05.2025, a Second Election Notification was issued for election to the post of President of Darsi Bar Association and though it was informed that the election will be conducted on 22.02.2025, surprisingly on 19.05.2025, the respondent No.3 without issuing any