The Supreme Court will hear a petition concerning the long-pending elections for Tripura’s village committees later this month, Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Debbarma announced on Tuesday.
Elections to the 587 village committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) have been pending since March 2021, marking a significant democratic delay in the state’s local governance.
Hearing Fixed for October 27 or 28
In a Facebook post, Debbarma stated that the matter was mentioned before the Supreme Court earlier in the day. “Hon CJI has listened to our mention today at the Supreme Court, and the hearing for VC elections will take place on the 27 or 28 of this month. The delay in holding the VC election must be one of the longest delays in the history of democratic India,” he wrote.
Previous High Court Directions
Earlier, the Tripura High Court had directed the State Election Commission and the state government to conduct the village committee elections by November 2022. However, the polls have remained postponed due to various reasons cited by the authorities.
Elections to TTAADC Scheduled Next Year
While the village committee elections have been pending for more than four years, the elections to the TTAADC are slated to take place early next year. The prolonged delay has raised concerns about local self-governance and democratic functioning in tribal areas of the state.
