The Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa elections scheduled to be held on 24 March 2026 have drawn considerable attention within the legal fraternity. Elections to the Bar Council are always significant, as they determine the representatives who will participate in shaping the regulatory framework governing advocates, including issues of professional welfare, disciplinary standards, and institutional development. This year’s election, however, carries an added and meaningful dimension, the increasing participation of women advocates in the electoral process.

This additional dimension emerges in the backdrop of the proceedings before the Supreme Court of India in Yogamaya M.G. v. Union of India & Ors.. By its order dated 8 December 2025, the Supreme Court recorded the stand of the Bar Council of India agreeing in principle to ensure 30% representation for women advocates in the composition of State Bar Councils. The Court further directed that 20% of the seats should be filled through elections, while 10% may be filled through co-option wherever necessary, so as to ensure that women advocates receive meaningful representation in the governance of the profession.

The Court observed that such representation would strengthen inclusivity within professional institutions and advance the constitutional vision of equality within the legal profession.

Against this backdrop, the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa election assumes particular importance. As per the final list of candidates released for the election, a total of 155 advocates are contesting, out of which 53 are women candidates.

The presence of 53 women advocates in the electoral field represents a notable moment for the profession. Women advocates today play an increasingly prominent role in litigation, arbitration, public service, legal academia, and advisory practice across Maharashtra. Yet, their presence within institutional decision-making bodies such as Bar Councils has historically remained limited. The current election therefore signals a gradual but important shift, one in which women advocates are not only strengthening their presence in courtrooms but are also stepping forward to participate in shaping the institutions that govern the Bar.

Across the state, from Mumbai to Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, Kolhapur and other districts, women advocates are actively engaging in the electoral process. Their participation reflects a growing recognition that institutional representation is essential to address issues concerning professional welfare, working conditions, and the broader development of the legal profession.

Women Candidates Contesting the Election

Among the 53 women advocates contesting the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa Elections 2026 are the following candidates, along with their respective serial numbers as reflected in the official candidate list:

• 4 – Adv. Rutuja Anil Ambekar
• 6 – Adv. Anuse Vanmala Naganath
• 8 – Adv. Bagwan Najmin Vajir
• 9 – Adv. Bakshi Neelam Wistarsingh
• 12 – Adv. Bhattad Uma Anil
• 15 – Adv. Bhosale Ranjana Raghunath
• 17 – Adv. Bidkar Choudhari Jayashree Pandharinath
• 18 – Adv. Anita Shekhar Castellino
• 21 – Adv. Chavan Dhanashri Akaram Vijaya
• 23 – Adv. Chavan Manda Pankaj
• 26 – Adv. Chavan Shailaja Dhondiram
• 28 – Adv. Chokhare Priyanka Sunil
• 29 – Adv. Chowdhari Farhana Inamulla
• 30 – Adv. Dalvi Shraddha Bharat
• 37 – Adv. Devtalkar Nayana Nagnath
• 39 – Adv. Dound Susmita Vikram
• 44 – Adv. Dhanashri Kiran Ghadage Jagadale
• 48 – Adv. Ghorpade Pratibha Rajendra
• 52 – Adv. Gulhane Aruna Jagannathrao
• 53 – Adv. Komal Dattatray Hajare
• 57 – Adv. Jadhav Meera Ashok
• 68 – Adv. Vaishali Govardhan Khadekar
• 72 – Adv. Rekha Ghanshyam Kochure
• 75 – Adv. Supriya Vasant Kothari
• 76 – Adv. Krishnaiyer Dhanalakshmi Sankaranarayanan
• 78 – Adv. Jayashree Vilas Kute
• 80 – Adv. Lida Matilda Almeida Joao
• 81 – Adv. Anamika Naveen Malhotra
• 82 – Adv. Maurya Keshari Omprakash
• 86 – Adv. Mokashe Sushma Atmaram
• 89 – Adv. Mote Utkarsh Machhindra
• 91 – Adv. Swati Balasaheb Nakhate
• 100 – Adv. Anjali Gopal Patil
• 104 – Adv. Jayashree Sambhajirao Patil
• 105 – Adv. Lalita Shyam Patil
• 107 – Adv. Roopali Chandrashekhar Patil
• 109 – Adv. Madhavi Bal Potdar
• 113 – Adv. Swapna Deepak Raut
• 115 – Adv. Rubeena Begum Sayed Saheb Jaan
• 120 – Adv. Shaikh Asma Shafikh
• 121 – Adv. Shaikh Sadakhatun M. Azheruddin
• 122 – Adv. Shaikh Salma Alimuddin
• 124 – Adv. Shelke Sulbha Sahebrao
• 125 – Adv. Shinde Hema Pandurangrao
• 127 – Adv. Shylaja Vijayan
• 131 – Adv. Rani Manik Sonawane
• 138 – Adv. Rashmi Sureshchandra Tendulkar
• 146 – Adv. Seema Girish Vishwakarma
• 147 – Adv. Wadatkar Wankhede Kshitija
• 148 – Adv. Sangmitra Bansidharrao Wadmare
• 153 – Adv. Carina Sharon Xavier
• 154 – Adv. Anuradha Dinesh Yeole
• 155 – Adv. Mamta Devidas Zalte

These candidates represent advocates from diverse professional backgrounds and various regions of Maharashtra and Goa. Their participation illustrates the expanding presence of women within the profession and their willingness to contribute to institutional leadership.

Several candidates have also highlighted issues relating to the welfare and protection of advocates. For instance, Adv. Mamta Devidas Zalte has emphasised the need for the implementation of the Advocates Protection Act, institutional safeguards against malicious prosecution of advocates, welfare funds for members of the Bar, stipends for junior advocates, and improved digital infrastructure such as e-libraries and legal research facilities.

Similarly, Adv. Chokhare Priyanka Sunil, a trained mediator associated with the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee of the Bombay High Court at the Nagpur Bench, has highlighted the importance of strengthening welfare mechanisms and institutional support structures for advocates.

Adv. Rutuja Anil Ambekar, who has served as Additional Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor at the Bombay High Court, has also emphasised the importance of ensuring a strong and dignified female voice within the Bar Council.

The growing participation of women advocates in the BCMG elections reflects a broader transformation within the legal profession. Women lawyers today are actively engaged across every sphere of legal practice from constitutional litigation and criminal trials to corporate law, mediation, and public service.

However, representation within institutional bodies such as Bar Councils remains equally crucial. These bodies play a vital role in shaping policies relating to professional welfare, disciplinary oversight, legal education, and the overall functioning of the Bar.

When women advocates participate in these decision-making structures, the profession benefits from a broader range of perspectives and experiences. Their presence can contribute to strengthening welfare measures, addressing professional challenges faced by young advocates, and ensuring a more inclusive institutional culture.

As the legal fraternity prepares to cast its votes on 24 March 2026, the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa elections represent more than a routine professional exercise. They reflect an evolving profession, one that is gradually moving toward greater inclusivity and broader representation.

It is also expected that a significant number of women advocates may extend their preferential votes to fellow women candidates, which could potentially bring about a notable shift in what has historically been a male-dominated Bar Council.

For many women advocates, the moment carries a deeper significance: the opportunity not only to participate in the profession but also to help shape its future. The participation of 53 women candidates in this election stands as a strong signal that the legal profession is steadily moving toward a more balanced and representative institutional framework, one that works toward a stronger and more equitable Bar for the years to come.