AGARTALA: TIPRA spokesperson and advocate Anthony Debbarma on Tuesday said that the High Court of Tripura has told the State Election Commission without giving a rigid timeline to hold the pending village committee elections as soon as possible.
The Tripura High Court division bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice SG Chattopadhyay disposed of the PIL filed seeking early elections to the village committees expired more than one year back.
Debbarma said, “The State Election Commission in its replies informed the Court that due to the forthcoming festive season, the polls could not be conducted prior to the last week of November.”
“Apart from that, the State Election Commission had also raised a range of issues such as preparation of a distinguished electoral roll for the polls and other necessary perquisites for the elections,” he added.
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Debbarma further said: “We have contested the matter and submitted before the court that for these excuses over 13 lakh people are being deprived of their rights. We also respect the festive mood of the people and thus we have pleaded with the Court to make sure that the polls are declared as soon as possible.”
According to Debbarma, the Tripura High Court did not give any rigid direction but observed that the elections should be held by November first week.
“In such a situation, the SEC, as an independent body, will have to weigh the competing demands and expedite the entire process to hold the Village Committee elections without further delay in order to maintain the democratic norms. Though we are not proposing any rigid timelines for this purpose, keeping in view SEC’s affidavits and the materials placed before us, we would expect SEC and state machinery to notify the date of election at the earliest and complete the entire process of Village Committee elections including declaration of results preferably within the first week of November, 2022,” the Tripura high court order reads.