New Delhi: The SCBA President Election 2026 has become more competitive after former Manipur High Court Chief Justice and Senior Advocate Siddharth Mridul filed his nomination for the post of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President. He joins five other senior advocates in the race, with the election set to be held under the existing electoral rules following directions from the Supreme Court.
SCBA President Election 2026: Former Chief Justice Siddharth Mridul Files Nomination
Senior Advocate Siddharth Mridul, who earlier served as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, officially entered the SCBA presidential contest. He launched his campaign with the slogan “No promises, only work,” highlighting his focus on delivering results rather than making election promises.
Strong Legal and Administrative Experience
Mridul was designated as a Senior Advocate in 2006. 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 served as Honorary Secretary and later Vice-Chairman. He later became a judge of the Delhi High Court before being appointed Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court. After retirement, he returned to legal practice. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court appointed him to chair a High-Powered Election Committee overseeing elections in certain State Bar Councils.
Six Candidates in the Race for SCBA President Election 2026
The election for SCBA President now features six prominent candidates:
- Justice (Retd.) Siddharth Mridul
- Senior Advocate Anupam Lal Das
- Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia
- Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani
- Senior Advocate Sukumar Pattjoshi
- Senior Advocate Adish Aggarwala
- Senior Advocate Pradeep Rai
Each candidate brings significant legal experience and has received support from different sections of the legal fraternity.
SCBA President Election 2026: Other Key Candidates
Senior Advocate Anupam Lal Das filed his nomination with the support of senior lawyers Shekhar Naphade and Ratnakar Dash. Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia, who previously served as SCBA Secretary, also entered the contest. His nomination is backed by senior advocates K.K. Venugopal, Rakesh Dwivedi, and Ranjit Kumar. Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, Senior Advocate Sukumar Pattjoshi, Senior Advocate Adish Aggarwala, and Senior Advocate Pradeep Rai have also announced their candidatures for the presidency.
Why This Election Is Important
The 2026 SCBA election comes after months of legal debate over proposed electoral reforms. Last month, the Supreme Court decided that proposed changes, including voter eligibility and tenure of office-bearers, would be postponed until the 2027-28 election cycle. As a result, the upcoming SCBA election will be conducted under the existing election rules.
The Supreme Court has also directed that the entire election process should be completed according to the schedule notified by the Election Committee.
Read also: Supreme Court Clarifies Article 12: Bar Associations Not Subject to Writ Jurisdiction
