In the race for the next President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), former Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, Senior Advocate Siddharth Mridul, has officially filed his nomination. Announcing his campaign with the motto, “No promises, only work,” Mridul submitted his candidacy ahead of the SCBA elections scheduled for later this month under the prevailing electoral rules.
Mridul, who was designated as a Senior Advocate in 2006, has an illustrious legal career. He has served as Standing Counsel and Senior Panel Counsel for the Union government and was twice elected to the Bar Council of Delhi, where he held positions as Honorary Secretary and Vice-Chairman. His judicial career saw a notable tenure as a judge of the Delhi High Court, followed by his appointment as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court. After retiring from his judicial duties, Mridul returned to legal practice. Earlier this year, he was entrusted by the Supreme Court to chair a High-Powered Election Committee tasked with overseeing elections to certain State Bar Councils.
Joining Mridul in the presidential race are several other prominent figures from the legal community. Senior Advocate Anupam Lal Das has also stepped into the contest, with his nomination supported by Senior Advocates Shekhar Naphade and Ratnakar Dash. Additionally, Senior Advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia has filed his nomination, backed by Senior Advocates KK Venugopal, Rakesh Dwivedi, and Ranjit Kumar. Bhatia is known for his previous role as the Secretary of the SCBA.
Other candidates include Senior Advocates Mahalakshmi Pavani, Sukumar Pattjoshi, Adish Aggarwala, and Pradeep Rai, each bringing their unique credentials and vision for the SCBA to the fore.
This year’s SCBA election is particularly noteworthy as it follows a period of litigation regarding electoral reforms and the conduct of bar elections. Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that proposed reforms, including changes to voter eligibility and the tenure of office-bearers, will be postponed until the 2027-28 election cycle. Consequently, the 2026 election will proceed under the existing framework.
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The Supreme Court has also mandated that the election process adhere to the schedule notified by the election committee, ensuring that the newly elected office-bearers will assume their roles promptly following the completion of the elections.
