TMC Bounces Back? Mamata's Party Sweeps Bengal Bar Council Polls

After a series of setbacks following the Assembly elections, including rebellions, defections, legal cases and political attacks, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) has secured a significant organisational win by retaining control of the West Bengal Bar Council.

The TMC won 15 of the 23 elected seats in the lawyers’ body, while the BJP secured three seats, the Left Front three and the Congress two. The result comes despite the BJP’s victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections and suggests that the TMC continues to retain influence among sections of the state’s legal fraternity.

TMC Wins Four Of Five Women’s Seats

Of the 23 elected seats, five were reserved for women. The TMC won four of these seats, while the Congress secured the remaining one.

According to reports, the winning TMC candidates were fielded on the recommendations of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Following Supreme Court directives, the Bar Council of India will nominate two additional women members from among the female candidates. The West Bengal Bar Council’s total strength will consequently rise from 23 elected members to 25.

A total of 75 candidates contested the election. The TMC fielded 23 candidates, followed by the BJP with 22, the Left Front with 12 and 18 independents.

The BJP retained its previous tally of three seats, while the Congress also held on to its two seats. The Left Front, however, saw its representation decline from four seats in the previous election to three.

TMC Lawyers’ Cell Celebrates Election Result

The results prompted celebrations within the TMC camp, with Subhashis Chakraborty of the party’s lawyers’ cell emerging as the candidate with the highest winning margin.

According to media reports, other prominent TMC candidates who won included Baisanor Chatterjee, Ansar Mondal, Ashok Deb, Indranil Basu and Siddhartha Mukherjee.

Sanjay Bardhan, a member of the TMC lawyers’ cell, said voting was conducted across district courts and involved practising lawyers.

“The State Bar Council was formed last March through votes cast by practising lawyers across all district courts. Under the new rules, five of the 23 seats are reserved for women. Trinamool has secured four of these women’s seats,” Bardhan said, according to an India Today report.

Voting for the West Bengal Bar Council began on March 9, just days before the Assembly elections.

What Does The Result Mean For TMC?

The Bar Council election result provides the TMC with a political and organisational boost at a time when the party has faced setbacks following the Assembly elections.

The BJP’s three-seat tally is unchanged from the previous election, despite the party’s improved political position in the state. The Left Front’s decline from four seats to three, meanwhile, indicates a further reduction in its representation within the lawyers’ body.

With the results declared, the TMC is expected to form the new board of the West Bengal Bar Council shortly.

Media reports say that within the TMC, the outcome is being viewed as an indication that the party retains organisational influence among sections of the legal fraternity despite its electoral setback in the Assembly polls.