All parties battle for control of tribal autonomous body in high-stakes contest

In a first in Tripura’s electoral history in several decades, both the ruling parties and the opposition have launched all-out campaigns -- without any alliances -- to capture the crucial Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), widely considered the state’s second most important constitutional body after the state Assembly.

The tribal autonomous council, comprising 28 elected members and two nominated by the state government, will go to the polls on April 12.

Administering nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km geographical area, the council is home to over 12.16 lakh people, around 84 per cent of whom belong to indigenous tribal communities, making the TTAADC one of the most significant constitutional bodies in the state’s political landscape.

Three national parties -- the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the CPI(M)-led Left Front, and Congress -- along with two regional parties, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), besides local parties and Independents, have collectively fielded 173 candidates across the 28 seats.

State Election Commission (SEC) officials said that after the withdrawal of nominations on March 28, the BJP, TMP and the Left Front have fielded candidates in all 28 seats, Congress in 27, and the IPFT in 24 seats. In all, 38 Independent candidates and nominees from local parties are also in the fray.

The BJP’s two tribal-based allies -- TMP and IPFT -- are contesting separately after failing to forge an alliance for the TTAADC polls. The BJP, led by Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and state party president Rajib Bhattacharjee, the Left Front led by CPI(M) Politburo member and Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury, and the TMP headed by Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, have all launched intensive campaigns to secure control of the council.

Congress Working Committee member and former Minister Sudip Roy Barman, state Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha, IPFT president Prem Kumar Reang, and party leader and state minister Sukla Charan Noatia are spearheading their respective parties’ campaigns.

TMP founder and party supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, after holding a series of inconclusive meetings with the BJP’s central leadership in New Delhi last week, firmly ruled out any alliance with the BJP.

He stated that there would be no electoral understanding without visible progress on the tripartite accord signed on March 2, 2024. In a video message on Sunday, the former royal scion emphasised that “assurances without implementation” of the accord were unacceptable, making it clear that commitments must translate into concrete action.

“My party and I will continue to fight for the land rights of the tribals, economic upliftment of the indigenous people, and protection of the constitutional rights of backward tribal communities comprising diverse groups. I am sure that after the TTAADC elections, a call will come from Delhi and not from the BJP’s state leaders,” Debbarma said.

He added that he is not contesting the elections this time and has instead nominated young and experienced leaders for the betterment of the tribal communities and the new generation of indigenous people. In his 24-minute video message, the TMP chief asserted that his party would once again win the TTAADC.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, who has addressed more than a dozen election rallies across the state, expressed strong confidence that the BJP would form the government in the tribal autonomous body.

Highlighting growing public support, he said that the trust and faith of the Janajati (tribal) communities remain a key strength for the party in the council areas.

CM Dr Saha described the BJP as a reliable choice for ensuring holistic development and improving the quality of life in the region.

IPFT president Prem Kumar Reang said his party and the BJP did not hold any consultations on jointly contesting the TTAADC elections.

BJP leaders have expressed displeasure after the IPFT unilaterally fielded its candidates. The TMP has two ministers, while the IPFT has one minister in the 12-member Tripura Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Manik Saha.

Since 2021, the Tipra Motha Party has governed the strategically important TTAADC.

In the 2021 council elections, the BJP contested 11 seats and won nine, while a BJP-backed Independent candidate also secured victory and later joined the TMP. However, the TMP emerged as the dominant force, winning 18 seats and wresting control of the council from the CPI(M)-led Left Front.

Tribals constitute nearly one-third of Tripura’s 4.2 million population and continue to play a decisive role in shaping the state’s political landscape.