Agartala, June 17: Tipra Motha Party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman on Tuesday welcomed the development that elections to the Village Committees (VCs) under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), pending for nearly a decade, are likely to be held in September following the intervention of the Supreme Court.
Debbarman said the Tripura State Election Commission (TSEC), through an affidavit submitted before the apex court, has agreed to conduct the long-overdue elections and proposed a detailed schedule for the electoral process.
Expressing satisfaction over the development, Debbarman described it as a major victory for the people of the tribal areas and the restoration of democratic rights. In a social media post, he stated that years of legal efforts had finally yielded results.
“After years of legal struggle, I am glad to say that the State Election Commission has agreed to hold elections in September this year. They have mentioned it in their affidavit before the Supreme Court. This is a huge relief and victory for the people of our state. Our rights have been restored by the efforts of the people,” he wrote.
In an audio message addressed to party workers and supporters, Debbarman said the Supreme Court proceedings made it clear that the long-pending Village Committee elections would be conducted within the next two months.
“After ten years of waiting, our Village Committee election will be held within two months, in the month of September,” he said, urging party leaders and workers to remain united and committed to the welfare of their villages and the indigenous Tiprasa community.
According to the election schedule annexed to the affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court, the election process is proposed to begin with the issuance of notification and filing of nominations between September 1 and September 8. Scrutiny of nominations and withdrawal of candidature are tentatively scheduled from September 9 to September 11, followed by campaigning from September 12 to September 26.
Polling is proposed to be held on September 27, while any repoll, if necessary, is scheduled for October 1. Counting of votes is expected on October 3, and the entire election process is proposed to conclude by October 5.
The Village Committee elections under the TTAADC have remained pending for several years, leading to prolonged legal proceedings before the Supreme Court. The proposed schedule is expected to pave the way for the restoration of elected grassroots governance in the tribal council areas.
