Agartala, Aug 31: Elections to 587 Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) will be held on September 28, 2026, with counting scheduled for October 5, the State Election Commission announced on Monday.
State Election Commissioner Dr P.K. Chakraborty, addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, said the entire election process is expected to be completed by October 8.
According to the election schedule, the formal process will begin with the publication of the election notification on September 1. The last date for filing nominations is September 8, while scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on September 9. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until 3 pm on September 11.
Polling will be held from 7 am to 4 pm on September 28. If a re-poll becomes necessary, it will be conducted on October 3. Counting of votes will begin at 8 am on October 5 and continue until the counting process is completed.
Dr. Chakraborty said the elections had been delayed due to a combination of circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent legal complications.
The tenure of the Village Committees constituted in 2016 ended on March 8, 2021. However, elections could not be held as scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The process was further delayed by various legal hurdles. The State Election Commission had initiated preparations in 2022, including work related to electoral rolls, polling stations and other election arrangements.
Nearly 9.62 lakh voters eligible:
The election will cover 587 Village Committees under 52 Rural Development (RD) Blocks, comprising 2,634 electoral constituencies and 4,597 seats. Of the state's 58 blocks, six have no Village Committees and therefore will not be covered by the election.
As per the final electoral roll, 9,61,977 voters are eligible to cast their ballots. They include 4,82,041 men, 4,79,930 women and six third-gender voters.
The electoral rolls for the Village Committee areas have been prepared from the revised Assembly electoral rolls, using October 1, 2025, as the qualifying date. The final rolls have already been published.
A total of 1,550 polling stations have been finalised across the state. Dhalai district will have the highest number with 299 polling stations, while Unakoti will have the lowest with 92.
Around 8,500 polling personnel:
The State Election Commission is in the process of deploying around 8,500 polling personnel for the election. Besides, 231 Assistant Returning Officers and 373 Sector Officers have already been assigned election-related responsibilities.
Election observers will also be appointed in the concerned blocks to monitor the conduct of polling.
District Magistrates and Collectors of all eight districts have been designated as District Election Officers, while Block Development Officers (BDOs) of the 52 RD Blocks have been assigned responsibilities as Electoral Registration Officers and Returning Officers.
Ballot papers to be used:
Unlike Assembly or Lok Sabha elections, voting for the Village Committee polls will be conducted through ballot papers.
To maintain ballot secrecy, ballot papers in white, light pink, light green and light blue will be used.
Voter identification at polling stations will be mandatory. Voters will primarily be required to establish their identity through Election Commission-issued EPIC cards. However, voters whose names appear on the electoral roll will also be allowed to use alternative documents as proof of identity so that no eligible voter is denied the right to vote solely because of the absence of an EPIC card. Detailed guidelines in this regard will be issued later.
Special arrangements will also be made at polling stations for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Security arrangements stepped up:
The State Election Commission has already held meetings with District Election Officers and Returning Officers regarding preparations for ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections. Detailed discussions have also been held with the police administration on law-and-order and security arrangements.
The Commission has also consulted representatives of political parties. At a meeting held with political parties at the state level on August 27, issues including the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), law and order and election preparedness were discussed.
With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the areas where Village Committee elections will be held. The MCC will apply to political parties, candidates, the state government and other stakeholders.
The State Election Commissioner urged all concerned to strictly adhere to the Model Code of Conduct to ensure a free and fair election.
CRPF, TSR and police to be deployed:
Tripura's in-charge Director General of Police G.S. Rao said elaborate security arrangements were being put in place across the state in view of the Village Committee elections.
He said a large number of CRPF personnel would be deployed with the approval of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Adequate personnel from the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and state police would also be deployed at polling stations and in sensitive areas.
Preventive measures will be taken to maintain normal law-and-order conditions throughout the election process, Rao said.
State Election Commissioner Dr. P.K. Chakraborty appealed for cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of the elections.
Tripura State Election Commission Secretary Anurag Sen was also present at the press conference.