Agartala: Fourteen candidates are contesting the upcoming Tripura Bar Council elections, scheduled for February 14, the Returning Officer, Justice S.C. Das, said on Wednesday.
The elections aim to fill 11 seats in the council, while three women candidates have already been elected unopposed to the seats reserved for women advocates, he added.
“As per the Supreme Court’s directive, 30 per cent of the total seats are reserved for women advocates. When nominations were invited, only three women candidates filed their papers. With no other nominations against the reserved seats, they have been declared elected unopposed with the approval of the High Power Election Committee,” Justice Das told reporters.Polling will begin at 7 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. on February 14. Seven polling stations will be set up at the Tripura High Court premises in Agartala, while eight more stations will operate at various district and sub-divisional headquarters across the state. Polling stations outside the High Court have been arranged in areas with more than 20 registered voters.
The election will follow a preferential voting system, he said. Each eligible voter will receive a single ballot paper and must cast a minimum of five preferential votes for the ballot to be considered valid. Justice Das urged voters to strictly follow the prescribed guidelines while marking their preferences, warning that any deviation could lead to invalidation of the ballot.
A total of 14 candidates have submitted nomination papers to contest the remaining 11 seats, he added.