Agartala, May 14 (IANS): After a hectic fight between the lawyers backed by the BJP and the CPI-M, the advocates supported by the saffron party for the first time won the majority seats in the 15-member Tripura Bar Association (TBA), an official said here on Monday.

"Of the 382 voters, 343 voted on Sunday to elect a new 15-member Tripura Bar Association. Lawyers supported by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) won nine seats including the post of the President," Returning officer of the TBA elections Sandip Datta Chowdhury said.

He said six posts, including the vital post of Secretary were secured by the lawyers backed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

At present around 625 lawyers are members of the 109-year-old Tripura Bar Association.

"According to the guidelines of the Supreme Court and the Bar Council of India, those lawyers are practicing consecutively for five years, they are the voters of the TBA elections," Datta Chowdhury said.

The ruling BJP and RSS-backed lawyers' panel for the first time in April won the Tripura Bar Council election, securing nine seats in the 15-member Council.