Overview

• A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N. Kotiswar Singh fixed the cutoff and allowed phased polling across states.
• The court ruled that the LLB certificate verification drive cannot justify postponement, even as it noted fake degrees and impostors posing as lawyers.
• The Bar Council of India said about 50% of verifications are complete and sought time until March 31, 2026, a request the bench resisted.
• The bench directed the BCI to file a concrete election schedule at the October hearing and suggested applying for a commissioner to ensure free and fair polls.
• The proceedings stem from a challenge to Rule 32 permitting term extensions, with the court warning of consequences for councils that miss the deadline and signaling limited leniency for substantial compliance.