Tipra Motha will hold protest programmes in the Rural Development Block premises across Tripura on October 19 next condemning the role of the State government and State Election Commission pertaining to holding Village Council elections.
Addressing a press conference Tipra Motha president Vijoy Hrangkhawl and party leader Animesh Debbarma slammed the BJP-led State government for conducting Village Council polls on time after the term of the Council ended on March 7, 2021.
The leaders told the media that the Government withheld the Village Council polls citing Covid pandemic. They, however, pointed out that the Government conducted Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) and other urban civic body polls in the meantime.
The High Court of Tripura directed the State government, after Tipra Motha filed a petition, to conduct Village Council polls by first week of November, 2022, Motha leaders pointed out.
Accordingly, the State Election Commission (SEC) published the draft electoral roll and it was found that most of the rehabilitated Bru Reang people’s names could not be included in the electoral roll owing several issues.
In view of this, the SEC in a press statement on Saturday (October 15) said, “Since the electoral roll of Village Committees has been prepared by the State Election Commission based on the State Assembly Electoral Roll finally published by the Election Commission of India on 05.01.2022 with reference to 01.01.2022 as the qualifying date, the Rules do not permit for inclusion of names of any new voters including the Bru(Reang) migrants who have enrolled their names after 05.01.2022 and pending final publication of the integrated electoral roll by the Election Commission of India. As per Rules, the inclusion of their names in the electoral roll of Village Committees is only possible when the electoral roll of Village Committees Is prepared based on the electoral roll of State Assembly Constituencies to be finally published on 05.01.2023 by the Election Commission of India following the ongoing Special Summary Revision Programme”.
The SEC further said, “Therefore, it will be sensible to await publication of State Assembly Electoral Roll by the Election Commission of India through ongoing revision programme and thereafter to treat the finally published electoral roll of assembly constituencies as the base electoral roll for preparation of electoral roll for the election of Village Committees”.
Fumed at this, Tipra Motha announced protest programme across the State at the Block Office premises on October 19 next. Among others, TTAADC Chairman Jagadish Debbarma was also present in the press meet.
