Agartala, Aug. 25 -- A Supreme Court Division Bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai on Monday issued notices to the Election Commission of India and the Tripura State Election Commission, seeking explanations for the prolonged delay in holding Village Committee (VC) elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC).

The state government has yet to conduct the long-overdue elections, even though the tenure of the existing Village Committees expired in 2021.

The plea, filed by Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, founder of Tipra Motha and a royal scion, argued that the lapse of the VC tenure without fresh elections violates the constitutional rights of tribal communities to grassroots self-governance.

The Suprem...