Alipurduar, Sept. 16 -- The BJP faced a setback in Alipurduar, considered one of its strongholds in West Bengal, as the BJP-backed Legal Cell won only six of the 20 seats in the District Bar Association election, despite retaining the key posts of president and secretary.
The Trinamool Congress-backed Advocate Forum emerged with the highest number of seats, winning 10, while the CPI(M)- and other Left-backed All India Lawyers Union secured four.
Polling was held on Tuesday, with 393 lawyers casting their votes. Counting began at noon on Wednesday. The results showed that while BJP-backed candidates retained the two top posts, the majority of seats went to the TMC-backed and Left-backed panels.
Newly elected general secretary Hemanta Kumar Roy said, "Although we have fewer seats in terms of numbers, we have retained the two most important posts, which are the main pillars of the Bar Association."
Suhrid Majumdar of the Advocate Forum alleged that an understanding between the BJP and CPI(M) helped BJP-backed candidates win the two key posts.
"It is because of this understanding that the BJP-backed candidates won the two important posts of president and secretary," he said.
The results have sparked discussion among lawyers in Alipurduar.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.