Tripura Village Committee polls: SC seeks response from Election Commission and State EC

New Delhi [India], August 25 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Tripura State Election Commission (SEC) over the prolonged delay in conducting Village Committee (VC) elections in the tribal areas of Tripura.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice NV Anjaria sought responses from both the ECI and SEC after a petition highlighted that nearly 587 Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) have remained non-functional since March 2021, following the expiry of their tenure.

The petitioners argued that the delay has deprived tribal communities of their constitutional right to participate in grassroots self-governance, while also paralysing local administration in the Sixth Schedule areas. Developmental activities in these regions have reportedly come to a standstill due to the absence of elected committees.

Notably, in July 2022, the Tripura High Court had directed the state government and the SEC to complete the polls by November that year, but the order was not complied with.

Political parties, particularly TIPRA Motha, which governs the TTAADC, have been consistently pressing for early elections to restore democratic functioning in the village committees. (ANI)

Disclaimer: This news article is a direct feed from ANI and has not been edited by the News Nation team. The news agency is solely responsible for its content.