Pune: Branch Elections has created lots of controversy, matter goes to court!

• Branch elections has become more controversial than the RC and CC elections. All the major branches in WIRC is having fierce fighting at branch level. It's really disheartening that in the elections of a professional body, such controversy are created.
• It is always welcome if someone make effort to bring the people to consensus and a team of managing committee is elected unanimously which is representing the people at large. But these exercises sometimes lead to bigger divide than cementing the relations. People have alleged pressure, and forced withdrawals in the process.
• For newly elected Central Council Member from Pune, its as said in Sanskrit, "Pratham Grase Makshika Bhakshanam."
• As per my information Pune election has now reached to court. It is expected that the branch elections are likely to be postponed and the election process will be re-initiated.
• The initial notice sent by branch for the Special General Meeting for Pune branch elections mentioned that the SGM is convened at 6 pm on January 7th to elect the new managing committee for Pune branch. The election notification however states that the timing of elections is 8 am to 6 pm on January 7th. As a matter of procedure, the election can not be conducted before the SGM, because the elections are the agenda on the SGM. Later on branch came out with an Errata to change the time to 8 am which created another technical problem of having a minimum gap of 10 days in date of election and list of final candidates.
• Rejections of the nominations of the candidates too have created many controversies. Candidates has challenged the rejections on the basis of mismatching addresses or writing names with surname first or first name first.
• In the whole process the returning officer too has target of candidates ire. Candidates blaming the Returning officer that he has not complied with the procedural requirement with respect to the dates and sequence of events.
• Its really a sorry state of affairs that we the members of such an esteemed professional body can't conduct our branch elections peacefully and matter goes to court of law.
• I have a suggestion, ICAI should conduct branch election too along with RC and CC elections. And if not for all, then at least for big branches having more than 2000 members, the elections should be conducted along with RC & CC. We can vote on three ballot papers instead of two. What do you think? Please comment..