Senior advocate Gopal Krishna Ghimire-led Broader Democratic Progressive Inclusive and Professional panel affiliated to the four ruling parties on Friday swept all 25 seats of the Nepal Bar Association leadership.

Ghimire, who contested for president, received 4,474 votes defeating his nearest rival Bishnu Mani Adhikari, who got 2,483 votes.

The newly elected eight vice-chairs are Suraj Khatri from Province 1, Sudhir Kumar Karna from Madhes, Harka Bahadur Rawal from Bagmati, Birendra KC from Gandaki, Pashupati Bhandari from Lumbini, Uttam Prasad Acharya from Karnali, Tularam Giri from Sudur Paschim province and Asha Rai under women’s open category.

Advocate Anjita Khanal has been elected new general secretary of the association with 3,682 votes, defeating her nearest rival advocate Kedar Prasad Koirala, who received 2,989 votes.

Advocate Bharat Bahadur Raut has been elected treasurer while the newly elected association members include Binita Nepali (Dalit category), Kiran Kumari Shah (Madhesi/Muslim from outside Kathmandu Valley), Naresh Kumar Shah (Madhesi/Muslim), Narayan Das Rai (Indigenous Nationalities-from outside Kathmandu Valley), Rup Bahadur Saru (Indigenous Nationalities-open), Sita Poudyal (women-outside Kathmandu Valley), Sharmila Thapa Bista (women-open) and Jitendra Bahadur Madai (from outside Kathmandu Valley).

The six members of the association elected under the open category are Bharat Kumar Lakai, Devi Prasad Koirala, Nirvaya Raj Poudel, Santosh Kumar Raut, Gunaraj Acharya and Santosh Tiwari.

The Bishnu Mani Adhikari-led panel representing the UML lost all 25 seats.

Lawyers’ organisations affiliated to the Nepali Congress, the CPN (Maoist Centre), the CPN (Unified Socialist) and the Janata Samajbadi Party had forged an alliance for the polls.

The Congress-affiliated Democratic Lawyers Association won 15 seats including the presidency and four vice-president positions while the Maoist Centre-affiliated Republican and Progressive Lawyers Association secured five seats including the general secretary and two vice-presidents. Socialist and Progressive Lawyers’ Association affiliated to the CPN (Unified Socialist) got four seats including two vice-presidents and the Federal Lawyers Association affiliated to the Janata Samajbadi Party won one vice-president.

Elections for the 26th central committee of the umbrella organisation of lawyers across the country were held on Saturday at 35 booths in the Capital and the districts outside. Counting of votes was completed on Friday.

Of the total 9,708 registered voters, only 7,429 voted during Saturday’s polls to elect a 25-member central working committee.