This rare display of cross-party consensus aims to accommodate major cultural festivals and ensure smoother voter participation across the state’s tribal and Bengali communities.
The original schedule, announced by the State Election Commission (SEC), set polling for April 13, with vote counting on April 17. The assembly’s resolution also recommends shifting the counting date to April 16 to prevent any overlap with upcoming assembly elections in other states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where results could potentially influence or be influenced by TTAADC outcomes.
The proposal originated during the assembly’s zero hour on its fourth day, raised by Congress MLA and former Minister Sudip Roy Barman. He highlighted the clash with key festivals, including Buisu (celebrated by indigenous communities), other tribal festivities, and Bengali New Year (Pohela Boishakh), all falling around the original polling day. Barman urged all members to adopt a unified resolution requesting the SEC to prepone the date, noting that advancing it by one day would be more practical than postponing.
The motion received widespread support from across the political spectrum:
- Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury (CPI(M)) emphasized the need for collective action.
- Tipra Motha MLAs Ranjit Debbarma and Chitta Ranjan Debbarma backed the change, citing festival concerns.
- IPFT leader and Cooperation Minister Shukla Charan Noatia echoed similar sentiments.
- Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha acknowledged the tight election timeline and multiple festival requests, supporting a suggestion to the SEC while clarifying that no administrator appointment would be needed—the council would continue under a caretaker Chief Executive Member (CEM) as per constitutional provisions.
- Transport Minister and Cabinet Spokesperson Susanta Chowdhury formally presented the resolution on behalf of the house.
The assembly stressed that preponing the poll to April 12, along with adjusting re-polling (if required) and counting accordingly, would allow the entire process to conclude by April 18 without disrupting the electoral calendar or festival observances. This decision reflects sensitivity to Tripura’s diverse cultural heritage and promotes inclusive democratic participation in the tribal-dominated areas, which cover a significant portion of the state and involve over 9 lakh voters.
The resolution now awaits formal consideration by the State Election Commission, which issued the original notification recently. The move underscores bipartisan cooperation ahead of this important election for the TTAADC, a key autonomous body safeguarding tribal interests in Tripura.
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