Agartala, March 29: For the first time in decades, both ruling and opposition parties in Tripura have launched extensive campaigns to seize control of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) without any alliances. This council is widely regarded as the second most significant constitutional body in the state after the assembly.
Elections for the 28 elected members of the tribal autonomous council will take place on April 12. The council administers nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 square kilometers, home to over 1.2 million residents, of whom approximately 84% belong to indigenous tribal communities. This makes the TTAADC one of the most crucial constitutional entities in the state’s political landscape.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Left Front led by CPI(M), and Congress, along with two regional parties—the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT)—have fielded a total of 173 candidates across the 28 seats.
According to officials from the State Election Commission, the BJP, TMP, and Left Front have candidates contesting all 28 seats, while Congress has put forward 27 candidates, and the IPFT has 24. Additionally, there are 38 candidates from independent and local parties.
The BJP’s tribal-based allies, TMP and IPFT, have failed to form an alliance for the TTAADC elections and are contesting separately. Chief Minister Manik Saha and state party president Rajiv Bhattacharya lead the BJP’s campaign, while the Left Front is spearheaded by opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhary, and the TMP is led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma.
Members of the Congress Working Committee and former minister Sudip Roy Barman, state Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha, IPFT president Prem Kumar Reang, and party leader and state minister Shukla Charan Notia are leading their respective party campaigns.
Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, the founder and leader of TMP, has categorically rejected any alliance with the BJP following several unsuccessful meetings with the central leadership in New Delhi last week. He stated that there would be no electoral agreement without substantial progress on the tripartite agreement signed on March 2, 2024. In a video message on Sunday, he emphasized that assurances without implementation are unacceptable and that commitments must translate into concrete actions.
Debbarma asserted, “My party and I will continue to fight for the land rights of indigenous people, the economic upliftment of indigenous communities, and the constitutional rights of diverse groups within the backward tribal communities. I believe that calls will come from Delhi after the TTAADC elections, not from the BJP’s state leaders.”
He further noted that they are not contesting this time and have instead nominated young and experienced leaders for the welfare of the new generation of tribal communities and indigenous people. In his 24-minute video message, the TMP leader claimed that his party would once again achieve victory in the TTAADC.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed confidence that the BJP would form the government in the tribal autonomous body. He stated that the trust and confidence of tribal communities remain a significant strength for the party in the council areas. The Chief Minister described the BJP as a reliable option for ensuring overall development in the region and improving living standards.
IPFT president Prem Kumar Reang indicated that there had been no consultations regarding a joint campaign between his party and the BJP for the TTAADC elections. He suggested that the current situation arose without coordination or dialogue between the two parties, leading to increased political discord.
BJP leaders expressed dissatisfaction over the IPFT’s unilateral candidate nominations. The TMP has two ministers, while the IPFT has one minister in Tripura’s 12-member cabinet, led by Chief Minister Manik Saha.
Since 2021, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) has been strategically managing the TTAADC. In the 2021 council elections, the BJP contested 11 seats and won 9, while an independent candidate supported by the BJP also won and later joined the TMP. However, TMP emerged as the largest force, winning 18 seats and seizing control of the council from the CPI(M)-led Left Front.
With nearly one-third of Tripura’s population of approximately 4.2 million being tribal, their role in the state’s politics remains significantly impactful.
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