The Supreme Court of India has dismissed the Tripura government’s request for an additional two weeks to submit its response regarding the long-delayed Village Committee (VC) elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC) Act, 1994.

Reacting to the development, TIPRA Motha founder and MDC Pradyot Kishore Debbarma took to social media, describing the apex court’s decision as a “significant step.” He further stated that the court’s forthcoming order will bring clarity to the next course of action concerning the long-awaited VC elections.

The tenure of the Village Committees ended on March 7, 2021, yet elections have not been conducted to date. Earlier, in August, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Election Commission of India, the Tripura State Election Commission, and the state government, seeking an explanation for the continuous delay in holding the elections.