MC POLLS: Right hand to the 'rescue' of lawyers

Putting an end to Haryana lawyers' dilemma of choosing between the elections to the Punjab and Haryana bar council and municipal corporations (MC), scheduled on consecutive days, bar council election returning officer justice (retd) NK Aggarwal on Tuesday said that index finger of advocate's right hand would be inked for the bar council polls.

It means that now lawyers can cast their franchise in the Haryana MC polls, scheduled for June 2, a day after bar council elections. They feared that since their fingers would be inked on June 1 while voting for the Haryana bar council elections, they would be denied the right to vote in the MC polls to be held in Ambala, Panchkula, Karnal, Panipat, Hisar, Rohtak and Yamunanagar.

As per rule, left hand's index finger (also called forefinger) of a voter is inked. It is for the first time that the bar council has made the change in the wake of problem highlighted by lawyers. More than 5,000 advocates were in a fix as they feared of losing their right to exercise their franchise in either of the two elections.

Justice Aggarwal said the decision would be conveyed to all bar council election officials and advocates of the state.