Trinamool Sweeps West Bengal Bar Council Elections; Pradeep Rai Elected Supreme Court Bar Association President

KalimNews, Aug 19, 2026, Kalimpong (With Inputs from PTI, ANI, Outlook India and India Today): In a significant political boost, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) has decisively retained control of the West Bengal Bar Council, securing 15 of the 23 elected seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Front managed three seats each, while the Indian National Congress won two. Among the five seats specifically reserved for women under reformed rules, TMC captured four, with the remaining seat going to Congress.

The victory comes as a major morale booster for the Trinamool Congress, demonstrating its enduring sway across the state's legal circles. The elections, which saw 75 candidates contest across district court complexes—including 23 from TMC, 22 from BJP, 12 from Left Front, and 18 independents—were held on the back of recommendations steered by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. With the Bar Council of India set to nominate two additional female members under Supreme Court guidelines, the state council's total strength will expand to 25 members. Subhashis Chakraborty of the TMC lawyers’ cell secured the highest victory margin, alongside winning candidates including Baisanor Chatterjee, Ansar Mondal, Ashok Deb, Indranil Basu, and Siddhartha Mukherjee.

TMC lawyers' cell representative Sanjay Bardhan noted that the balloting engaged practicing lawyers across all district courts following the initiation of voting on March 9, paving the way for the TMC to formally constitute the new governing board. Reacting to the development, advocate Arka Kumar Nag remarked that the outcome reflects the genuine sentiment of the legal fraternity when elections are conducted under judicial oversight.

In another major development in the legal fraternity, Senior Advocate Pradeep Rai was elected President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). In the results declared late Tuesday night, Rai secured 822 votes, defeating senior advocate Anupam Lal Das, who polled 451 votes. Other presidential contenders included Adish Agarwalla (412 votes), BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia (370 votes), Sukumar Pattjoshi (269 votes), former Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court Siddharth Mridul (217 votes), and Mahalakshmi Pavani (128 votes).

Rai, who previously served as SCBA Vice President, had campaigned heavily on advocate welfare, notably promising ₹50 lakh in medical cover and merit scholarships for members' children. He takes the helm from outgoing president Vikas Singh. In other SCBA executive results, Senior Advocate Rahul Kaushik and Advocate Pragya Baghel were elected Vice President and Secretary, while Meneesh Dubey and Reepak Kansal secured the posts of Joint Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.