In a tightly contested showdown that had Delhi’s legal circles on edge, Senior Advocate N Hariharan emerged victorious as the new President of the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA). The ballots were cast on March 21, but it wasn’t until today, after a marathon counting session that began on March 22, that the results rolled in.
Hariharan, a veteran with nearly four decades at the Bar and a Senior Advocate since 2013, secured 2,967 votes — just 87 more than his closest contender, Senior Advocate Kirti Uppal, who followed closely with 2,880.
The remaining two presidential hopefuls — Senior Advocates Abhijat and Vivek Sood — drew 1,429 and 339 votes, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Vice President’s seat went to Senior Advocate Sacchin Puri, who stormed ahead with 4,515 votes. A political science graduate turned legal heavyweight, Puri left his rivals — Advocate Shyam Sharma (1,895 votes) and Senior Advocate Inderbir Singh Alagh (1,080 votes) — far behind.
For the role of Secretary, the race was equally fierce. Advocate Vikram Singh Panwar, another Campus Law Centre alumnus, secured the post with 4,389 votes. His nearest competitor, Advocate Mohit Gupta, trailed with 2,958. Advocate Anil Kathuria rounded off the tally with 152.
On the financial front, Advocate Kanika Singh is set to take charge as Treasurer, sweeping the vote count with 4,493 ballots in her favor. Her nearest challenger, Advocate Zeba Khair, managed 2,040 votes, while Advocate Kusum Dhalla collected 895. Singh, an alumna of LSR and Campus Law Center, previously served on the DHCBA Executive from 2019 to 2022.
The post of Joint Secretary went to Advocate Kunal Malhotra, who garnered 3,381 votes after 15 years of criminal law practice. His challengers — Advocate Anurag Rawal (2,222), Advocate Pradeep Gahlot (1,199), and Advocate Amit Grover (402) — couldn’t catch up.
The DHCBA elections, originally meant to be held in October 2024, faced repeated postponements before finally being conducted on March 21 within the hallowed halls of the Delhi High Court — where tradition met transformation in a ballot-powered shuffle of power.