HC asks Tripura govt to hold TTAADC polls by May 17

It is also home to tribalswho form one-third of Tripuras population.The petitioner sought the intervention of the courtfor holding early polls in the council.The State Election Commission in an affidavit onTuesday informed the court that it would publish the voterslist by January 15.Elections to the TTAADC were indefinitely postponed inthe wake of the coronavirus outbreak last year, and after itsterm expired on May 17, the councils administration washanded over to the Tripura governor.The TTAADC came into being under the sixth schedule ofthe constitution in 1985.

The High Court of Tripura onTuesday ordered the state government to conduct elections tothe 30-member Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council(TTAADC) within May 17 this year.

The term of the previous council expired on May 17,2020, but its elections were not held in the wake of theCOVID-19 pandemic situation.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice AkhilAbdulhamid Kureshi and Justice SG Chattopadhyay directed thestate government to hold the polls within May 17.

The bench passed the order while hearing a petitionfiled by a resident of the TTAADC area, which constitutestwo-third of the state's territory. It is also home to tribalswho form one-third of Tripura's population.

The petitioner sought the intervention of the courtfor holding early polls in the council.

The State Election Commission in an affidavit onTuesday informed the court that it would publish the voters'list by January 15.

Elections to the TTAADC were indefinitely postponed inthe wake of the coronavirus outbreak last year, and after itsterm expired on May 17, the council's administration washanded over to the Tripura governor.

The TTAADC came into being under the sixth schedule ofthe constitution in 1985. Of the 30-member council, two seatsare nominated by the governor of Tripura as per the advice ofthe state government.