In a rare show of unity, the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Wednesday unanimously resolved to advance the elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) from April 13 to April 12, considering a clash with major cultural festivals.
The decision came during the fourth day of the Assembly session after members across party lines raised concerns over the original poll date coinciding with Buisu, an important festival of indigenous communities, as well as Poila Boishakh, the Bengali new year.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman urged the House to collectively appeal to the State Election Commission (SEC) to reconsider the schedule. He emphasized that holding elections on a significant festive day could inconvenience large sections of voters.
Leaders from multiple parties, including the CPI(M), Tipra Motha, and IPFT, echoed similar sentiments. Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury stated that even the ruling BJP had informally supported revising the date, paving the way for a consensus resolution.
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha acknowledged the tight election schedule but said the government could still recommend changes to the SEC in view of public sentiment. He noted that any delay beyond the existing timeline might disrupt the electoral process but agreed that the concerns raised were valid.
Further suggestions were made to adjust the counting date as well, with some members proposing it be advanced from April 17 to April 16 to avoid overlaps with elections in other states.
The proposal to postpone the polling date to April 12 was formally presented by Transport Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Susanta Chowdhury on behalf of the House and was adopted unanimously.
The Assembly’s resolution will now be forwarded to the State Election Commission for final consideration.
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