SC refuses to postpone Tripura municipal elections: 'If we do it then it will set a wrong precedent'

New Delhi, Nov 23: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to postpone Tripura Local body elections which are scheduled to be held on November 25.

"It is an extreme thing to order in a democracy and we are averse to it. If we do it then it will set a wrong precedent", said Supreme Court said, adding that postponing the elections is the last resort.

The court asked the law enforcement agencies to act in an even-handed and non-partisan manner to obviate the grievances that the candidates and supporters of the TMC are unfairly targeted by contesting political groups, the bench said as per Livelaw website.

The bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud also sought a detailed security arrangement plan from the government to ensure free and fair civic polls and also for the declaration of results.

The court was hearing the Trinamool Congress' plea seeking contempt action against the Tripura government for failing to curtail violent incidents against the opposition parties in the run-up to the civic elections. "The situation in the state is very volatile and it has gone from bad to worse. The situation is worsening day by day," advocate Amar Dave, appearing for TMC, had told the court, stating that the plea for contempt action has been filed due to repeated incidents of violence and false cases were being lodged against the party workers.

On November 11, the top court had directed the Tripura government to ensure that no political party including TMC, in the fray for local body polls of the state, is prevented from pursuing electoral rights in accordance with law and from campaigning in a peaceful and orderly manner.

"Since the election process has commenced, it is the bounden obligation of the respondents (Tripura government) to ensure that no political party which is in the fray is prevented from pursuing its electoral rights in accordance with law and from campaigning in a peaceful and orderly manner," the top court had said. With inputs from agencies