VC elections in September, Tripura SEC tells Supreme Court: Pradyot

Tipra Motha Party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman on Tuesday said elections to the Village Committees (VCs) under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), pending for nearly a decade, are set to be conducted in September. Tripura State Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court of India through an affidavit, said Debbarman. 

In a social media post, Debbarman said the State Election Commission, in an affidavit submitted before the apex court, had agreed to conduct the elections in September.

“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 to 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 leaders, Debbarman said the Supreme Court hearing had made it clear that the long-pending VC elections would be held within two months.

“After 10 years of waiting, our VC election will be held within two months, in the month of September,” he said.

Urging party members to remain united, he appealed to them to focus on the future of their villages and the welfare of the indigenous Tiprasa community rather than personal interests.

According to a schedule annexed to the affidavit placed before the court, the election process is proposed to commence with notification and nomination filing from September 1 to September 8. Scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations 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 required, has been tentatively scheduled for October 1. Counting of votes is expected on October 3 and the election process is proposed to be completed by October 5, according to the document.

The Village Committee elections under the TTAADC have remained pending for several years, leading to legal proceedings before the Supreme Court.

The total number of Village Committees stand 587 while the total number of seats for which polls are to be conducted have been recorded to be 2,600. Polling will be conducted in as many as 1,550 polling stations.

The Village Committees serve as the rural local bodies in TTAADC which are similar to panchayat system in General areas.