Key facts
- Kunal Vajani appointed Additional Advocate General, Karnataka, SC
- Omar Hoda appointed Additional Advocate General, Karnataka, SC
- Appointments bolster Karnataka's legal team at the apex court
The Karnataka government has appointed Kunal Vajani and Omar Hoda as Additional Advocate Generals to represent the state before the Supreme Court of India, strengthening the state's legal bench at the country's apex court.
The appointments come at a time when Karnataka has a significant docket of matters pending at the Supreme Court, spanning water-sharing disputes, questions of fiscal relations between the state and the Centre, and a range of administrative and constitutional issues. Having experienced advocates in dedicated senior roles at the Supreme Court ensures the state's positions are argued consistently and effectively.
Vajani and Hoda are both recognised Supreme Court practitioners. Their elevation to the Additional Advocate General positions formalises their brief and gives them the authority to represent Karnataka across all matters before the apex court, working alongside the state's Advocate General.
The appointments, reported by The New Indian Express, are an administrative and legal housekeeping measure but carry significance in the context of centre-state legal battles that have intensified in recent years, with several southern states actively challenging the Centre on issues of tax devolution and resource allocation.