Assembly urges SEC to hold ADC elections on April 12, Commission approved new date

Tripura Legislative Assembly on Wednesday has requested the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) general elections on April 12 instead of April 13.

A unanimous proposal was adopted in the Assembly on Wednesday. Raising the issue, senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman stated that the SEC had earlier announced April 13 as the date for the ADC elections.

However, since various social and religious events of different communities are scheduled on that day, holding the elections could create inconvenience for voters.

Considering the matter, he urged that the election date be changed. His proposal was supported by Cooperation Minister Shukla Charan Noatia, opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury, and Tipra-Motha MLAs Ranjit Debbarma and Chitta Debbarma.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that if a consensus is reached in the House, the government has no objection. After detailed discussions, all sides agreed to shift the election date by one day to April 12 instead of April 13.

Accordingly, a unanimous resolution was passed and it has been decided to send the proposal to the State Election Commission.

While, on Wednesday afternoon after the state Assembly sent its unanimous resolution to the SEC to change the ADC election, in the evening SEC through a notification said that as per the announcement for the poll schedules for District Council elections, declared on March 17 last, representations have been received from many stakeholders, community leaders, ministers, MLAs, political parties and various NGOs, the Commission to reconsider the date of poll on previously announced as April 13, the day which is celebrate across Tripura as Bizu, Buisu among the people from the indigenous community with much enthusiasm, the Commission fix the date for poll on April 12 in place of April 13.

The SEC also said that as the Commission endeavours larger participation of all communities in the elections, it considers prudent to avoid dates when the local customary festivals are observed by the various communities and considering the resolution taken by the Assembly, the Commission , now fixes the ADC poll date on April 12 next.