Maharashtra: Pune Lawyers Shine in Bar Council Polls, Win 8 of 23 Seats

Pune, 8th June 2026: Advocates from Pune district delivered a strong performance in the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa elections, winning eight of the 23 elected seats. The results underscore Pune’s growing influence in the state’s legal fraternity, with candidates from the district securing the second and third highest vote counts in the election.

A total of eight candidates from Pune district were elected, including six from the general category and two from the women’s reserved category. This marks a significant improvement over the previous election, in which only five candidates from the district were elected.

Advocate Parijat Pandey of Nagpur emerged as the highest vote-getter in the state. Among the Pune candidates, Ganesh Shirsath secured the highest number of votes and ranked second overall, while Rajendra Umap, a former Chairman of the Bar Council and a member of the outgoing council, secured the third-highest vote count statewide.

Other successful candidates from Pune district include Vitthal Konde Deshmukh, Rajendra Anbhule, former Pune Bar Association President Vikas Dhage Patil, and Ahmad Khan Pathan. In the women’s reserved category, Ranjana Bhosale and Madhavi Potdar were elected.

The election witnessed participation from candidates across Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. A total of 155 candidates contested the polls, including 25 from Pune district.

This year’s election was notable for the introduction of reservation for women for the first time. Voting was held for 23 seats, of which 18 were from the general category and five were reserved for women. Pune candidates won six of the 18 general seats and two of the five women’s reserved seats.

The Bar Council election is considered one of the largest democratic exercises within the legal profession, with nearly 1.9 lakh advocates eligible to vote across the region. Pune district alone accounts for approximately 24,000 to 25,000 voters.

With eight representatives elected to the council, Pune has emerged as one of the strongest contributors to the newly constituted Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.