New Delhi/Agartala, August 25: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Tripura Election Commission over a plea seeking directions to immediately conduct the long-pending Village Committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) Act, 1994.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice N.V. Anjaria heard the matter and sought responses from the poll bodies. The elections to the Village Committees considered the grassroots tier of the TTAADC have been overdue, sparking widespread demands from Indigenous political groups in the state.
Tripura royal scion and Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma welcomed the court’s move. In a statement on social media platform X, he wrote:
“I thank the Hon’ble Supreme Court for issuing notice. Our people have suffered and those responsible should be held accountable. Fear of losing elections cannot mean you can curtail the democratic rights of the Indigenous people of Tripura. I am not going to remain silent.”
The development comes days after a delegation of Tipra Motha leaders met officials of the Election Commission in Delhi, pressing for an immediate schedule of the overdue polls.
The case is expected to have far-reaching implications for the political landscape of the TTAADC areas, where Village Committees play a crucial role in local governance.
