Ram Reddy Samula Elected Telangana Bar Council Chief in Thriller

Hyderabad: Ram Reddy Samula was elected chairman of the Telangana Bar Council, in results announced on Sunday. Venkat Yadav Chalakani was elected vice-chairman, and Kiran Kumar G. was nominated to the Bar Council of India. Ram Reddy and Kiran Kumar were elected to the council for the first time, while Chalakani has secured a second term.

Ponnam Ashok Goud, brother of minister Ponnam Prabhakar, was defeated with by vote in the polling for the chairman’s post. Out of 26 Bar Council members who participated in the election, Samula won 12 votes, Ashok Goud 11 and T. Hanumanth Reddy, three. Hanumanth Reddy is the husband of High Court judge Justice T. Madhavi Devi.

A. Narasimha Reddy, continuously elected as chairman for about two decades, supported Samula this year. Ashok Goud was earlier elected president of the High Court Bar Association in undivided AP as well as in Telangana.

Hailing from Amaravaram in Huzurnagar mandal of Suryapet district, Ram Reddy Samula began his legal career 35 years ago after enrolling as an advocate. He served as president of the Huzurnagar Bar Association for 25 consecutive years. During his tenure, he played a key role in transforming the historic Munsif Magistrate Court, which dates back to the Nizam era, into a modern facility. He also contributed to its elevation to the status of an Additional District Court.

The elections came after the State Bar Council went through a prolonged process. Elections to the 23-member council were held across Telangana on January 30, following which ballot boxes were brought to the Bar Council premises. Counting, which began on February 10, continued for a considerable period as the winners were determined through the preferential voting system involving first and second preferences.