The Supreme Court today(June 16) directed elections to the Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in a single phase on September 27 as proposed by the Tripura State Election Commission(TSEC).

The order was passed in a writ petition filed by Pradyot Deb Burman, who alleged failure of authorities to conduct elections. He sought directions to the Election Commission of India and Tripura Election Commission to immediately conduct overdue Village Committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Automatic District Council Act, 1994.

A vacation bench comprising of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi heard Attorney General R Venkataramani(for Tripura Election Commission) and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta(for Tripura State Government).

At the outset, the Court was informed that as per the last order, the State was supposed to point out the security arrangments in order to conduct elections. The petitioner's counsel stated that TSEC has filed an affidavit on June 12, proposing to conduct elections in multi-phase and in single phase and the security arrangment in accordance with that.

It may be recalled that the Court had earlier suggested if elections can be conducted in staggered manner and an affidavit was filed by the TSEC that the elections will be conducted in June. The Court accepted this submission but that it was informed that due to security reasons, it could not be conducted. So the Court had asked State as well as STEC to file an affidavit on the required security arrangments.

Venkataramani informed the bench that while Court had proposed the elections be conducted in multiple phase, conducting it in single phase would be better considering the onset of monsoon. He added that they wouldn't need security assistance from the Centre if elections are conducted in single phase as local security arrangments would be sufficient.

SG Mehta submitted that he agrees with the proposal and added: "There have been some incidents of violence in the recent past. Atmosphere would also calm down by September."

All parties seem to be ad idem that elections must be conducted soon but Petitioner and Respondent 5(administrator controller of village committee) suggested that it may be conducted in August instead of September.

Considering all this, the bench said date of election is not a big issue and that it must be conducted in manner proposed by TSEC.

It ordered: "Heard learned Attorney General and other parties. In terms of order dated 27.7.25, the State Election Commission has submitted an affidavit wherein the election scheduled in multi-phase and single phase has been proposed in paragraph 45, page 82 of the affidavit. All the parties before us at ad idem that election may be held in a single phase. However, the petitioner and respondent 5 submit that as elections have been unduly delayed, it may be conducted in the month of August instead of September, 2026 as proposed. As parties are substantially in agreement on the manner, the difference between the proposed date is merely a month, we direct that the election to the village committee be conducted as per the proposed schedule. 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. Post the manner on 9th October."

The petition states that the last Village Committee elections were held in 2016, and the term of the committees expired on March 7, 2021. Under Section 4 of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (Establishment of Village Committee) Act, 1994, elections are to be held before the expiry of the committee's five-year term. Notice on this was issued last year in June.

The petition highlights orders passed by the Tripura High Court, where the authorities had assured the court that elections would be conducted in a time-bound manner. The High Court had noted that the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District (Establishment of Village Committee) Act, 1994 assigns significant duties to the Village Committees, including sanitation, maintenance of village infrastructure, and educational facilities.

According to the petition, despite the High Court's observation on July 13, 2022, that elections were overdue and should be completed preferably within the first week of 2022, no polls have been held. It further states that during contempt proceedings in May 2024, the State Election Commission proposed that elections would be completed by December 2024, but no action has been taken since.

The petition submits that the absence of elected Village Committees has stalled developmental works and deprived indigenous tribal populations and rural residents of access to basic health care, sanitation, and welfare benefits. The plea states that failure to conduct elections violates Articles 243K, 243ZA, and 324, of the Constitution which provide for timely elections to local bodies.

"in the absence of the a Village Development Committee or Village Committee, funds are not being released by the Respondent No. 2 towards health, sanitation as well as other welfare and developmental works relating to the villages as a consequence of which the poor indigenous scheduled tribes and the poor rural Bengali population which is settled in the rural villages of the TTAADC Areas of the State of Tripura are being deprived of basic health facilities and other benefits, which they are otherwise entitled to under various beneficial and welfare legislations and schemes framed from time to time”, the petition states.

The petition seeks directions to the respondents – Union of India, State of Tripura, Election Commission of India, and State Election Commission of Tripura to conduct Village Committee elections in the TTAADC areas of Tripura in accordance with the 1994 Act and the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Village Committee (Conduct of Election) Rules, 1996.

Case Details: PRADYOT DEB BURMAN Vs UNION OF INDIA|W.P.(C) No. 786/2025