3 min readNew DelhiJun 16, 2026 04:40 PM IST
The Supreme Court Tuesday directed that the long-overdue elections to the village committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) be held in a single phase on September 27.
A bench of Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi noted that both the petitioner, TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, and the respondents agreed to a single-phase election.
The petitioner noted that the last village committee elections were held in 2016, and the elected officials’ terms expired on March 7, 2021. Arguing that the polls should have been completed before the expiry of the previous term, he urged the apex court to direct the state authorities to conduct the elections without further delay.
The top court had previously sought the Tripura State Election Commission (SEC)’s views on whether polling could be conducted in phases. In response, the SEC submitted an affidavit detailing the extensive security arrangements required for both single-phase and multi-phase alternatives.
Appearing for the Commission, Attorney General R Venkataramani submitted that a single-phase poll would be ideal to navigate weather challenges and avoid the monsoon period. The Commission also noted that a single-phase poll would allow local security deployments to suffice, bypassing the need to request additional central paramilitary forces.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta agreed with the suggestion, stating that although there have been recent incidents of violence, the atmosphere is expected to calm by September.
Taking these submissions into account, the bench noted in its order, “… the State Election Commission has submitted an affidavit detailing the multi-phase and single-phase schedules… All parties before us are at ad idem that the election may be held in a single phase…. As the parties are substantially in agreement on the manner… We direct that the election to the village committees be conducted as per the proposed schedule.”
Story continues below this ad
The court added, “It is expected that all authorities shall endeavour to strictly abide by the schedule and conclude the election process. No further extension shall be granted.”
Barma’s plea stated that the Tripura High Court ruled in July 2022 that the elections were overdue and directed that they be held; however, this directive was not followed. He said the absence of elected village committees has adversely affected development projects in the region, depriving indigenous tribal populations and rural residents of access to essential healthcare, sanitation, and welfare benefits.
composition of village committees
The TTAADC spans 70 per cent of Tripura’s geographical area and is present in almost all districts. It houses over 30 per cent of the state’s tribal population, who hail from 19 tribal communities, and is locally administered by 587 village committees.
The elections to these committees, initially scheduled for March 2021, were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and an administrator was appointed under the Governor’s supervision.
Story continues below this ad
While several activists moved the High Court against the State Election Commission in 2022, the court directed the panel to complete the poll process by the first week of November that year.
