KANPUR: Terming the cancellation of the Lawyers’ Association election on Monday at the Collectorate here, the advocates said it was a black chapter in the history of polling for the office-bearers of the Association. If responsible persons were strict in their obligation, such unanticipated situation could not have been taken place.
Rudra Pratap Singh, an advocate, said this was unprecedented in the history of Association’s elections. Another advocate Ashutosh Shukla stated advocates’ prestige was diminishing owing to such kind of incidents. We should better extend our services in peaceful conduct of the polling.
As the voting process was continuing at the Collectorate here, there were received complaints about bogus ballots. The Elders Committee made arrangements for voting through the slip system. When some lawyers learnt of their votes already cast, they informed of the matter to the presidential candidate. He approached the Elders Committee and made it aware of the whole affair.
It was alleged that the supporters caught one candidate contesting for the post of presidentship with fake slips. It was also alleged that wad of bogus slips was recovered from him. This led to fighting among the supporters of both sides. Police tried hard to pacify them. In the meantime, some lawyers indulged in throwing the ballot boxes and pushed the tables on the ground.
Seeing the gravity of the situation the returning officer Vijay Narayan Singh thought it better to make an announcement for cancellation of the polls.
