The Save Constitution Forum-backed panel secured major victories in the Tripura Bar Association elections held on June 13, winning key posts including President and Secretary. Opposition leaders Sudip Roy Barman and Jitendra Choudhury hailed the result, calling it a message from the legal community.
Quick Glance
- Save Constitution Forum candidates Pritha Deb Paul and Bhaskar Debbarma won President and Secretary posts in Tripura Bar Association polls.
- The panel secured 10 out of 15 seats in the executive committee election.
- Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and CPI(M) State Secretary Jitendra Choudhury praised the outcome.
- A total of 520 lawyers cast votes out of 601 registered voters in the election.
Agartala: The Save Constitution Forum-backed panel has registered a significant victory in the Tripura Bar Association elections. The result has drawn appreciation from opposition leaders, including Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and CPIM State Secretary Jitendra Choudhury.
The election took place on June 13. The results were declared late Saturday night. The Save Constitution Forum panel won several important positions, including President and Secretary of the association.
The newly elected executive committee will continue for a two-year period. The result has created political discussion in Tripura, as opposition leaders described it as a reflection of the mood among members of the legal fraternity.
Pritha Deb Paul, Bhaskar Debbarma Win Top Posts
According to the official result sheet, Pritha Deb Paul won the President (General) post with 356 votes. She defeated her nearest rival Mrinal Kanti Dhar, who received 165 votes.
Subrata Debnath and Tapan Saha secured 138 and 42 votes respectively.
Bhaskar Debbarma achieved a strong victory for the Secretary (General) position. He received 298 votes. His nearest rival Bidyut Subhadar secured 177 votes. Raghunath Mukherjee finished third with 68 votes.
Jiban Krishna Sen became Vice-President (General) after securing 221 votes. He defeated Sanjoy Saha with 175 votes and Daniel Debbarma with 124 votes.
The major election results are:
| Post | Winner | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| President (General) | Pritha Deb Paul | 356 |
| Vice-President (General) | Jiban Krishna Sen | 221 |
| Secretary (General) | Bhaskar Debbarma | 298 |
| Assistant Secretary (Women Reserve) | Mallica Saha | 319 |
| Assistant Secretary (General) | Bhaban Ranjan Bhattacharjee | 219 |
Executive Committee Results
The counting process also finalised the executive committee members.
In the Women Reserve category, Ruthi Debbarma topped the list with 322 votes. Likha Bhowmik received 280 votes, while Bhandari Rang secured 237 votes.
In the General Category, 14 candidates contested for executive committee positions. Subir Saha received the highest number of votes in the entire election with 342 votes.
Other elected members included Niladri Mukherjee with 313 votes, Debabesta Debesch with 306 votes, Debjyoti Debnath with 272 votes, Anirban Lodh and Arpan Das with 266 votes each, and Kinjalay Roy with 231 votes.
A total of 74 candidates contested for 15 posts. The final electoral roll had 601 voters. Among them, 520 lawyers exercised their voting rights.
Sudip Roy Barman Calls Result a Democratic Message
Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman welcomed the result and described it as a positive political development.
“Good result. We are very happy and overwhelmed. The verdict has gone in favour of the Save Constitution Forum,” he said.
Roy Barman clarified that the Bar Association election was not fought on party symbols. He said lawyers with different ideological views contested through different forums.
According to him, Congress-aligned lawyers and Left-oriented lawyers united under the Save Constitution Forum banner and achieved success.
He also highlighted that voting was conducted through ballot papers and not EVMs.
The Congress MLA questioned the presence of a large police force during the counting process at the court premises. He said such deployment was unusual and raised questions about the circumstances behind it.
He also alleged that attempts were made to influence some voters before the election.
Roy Barman said the result reflected the views of intellectuals and members of the legal community.
He added that if elections are conducted freely and without manipulation, public opinion will always find expression through the ballot box.
Jitendra Choudhury Says Result Reflects Public Sentiment
CPIM State Secretary Jitendra Choudhury also praised the outcome. He called the result an important political development.
He said Left and Congress-supported lawyers fought together under the Save Constitution Forum banner.
According to Choudhury, this was possibly the fourth major victory for the forum after 2018.
He claimed that despite efforts by the BJP and other organisations, the party could not influence the Bar Association election.
Choudhury said the result reflected dissatisfaction among a section of people in Tripura.
He added that the outcome showed the importance of free and fair elections in democratic institutions.
Opposition Leaders Raise Democracy Concerns
Both opposition leaders linked the Bar Association result with wider democratic issues in Tripura.
Roy Barman said the victory showed that educated sections of society wanted a free environment. He said the Save Constitution Forum winning 10 out of 15 seats was an important indication.
Choudhury said the forum’s victory would strengthen efforts to protect constitutional values and democratic rights.
He also called for greater unity among democratic organisations in Tripura. He said collective efforts would be necessary to challenge the BJP and its allies.
Police Presence During Counting Draws Attention
The counting process remained peaceful initially. However, both leaders referred to the sudden presence of a large police force at the venue.
Choudhury said if police acted only to maintain law and order, their role deserved appreciation.
He also mentioned reports about possible attempts to disturb the process, though he said he could not confirm the authenticity of such information.
The election result has once again placed the Tripura Bar Association polls in focus. Save Constitution Forum-backed candidates have continued to win important positions in the association since 2018.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders claimed that the outcome reflected a growing demand for democratic participation in Tripura.