Even as discussions continue between the BJP and its ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), to finalize a seat-sharing deal, the opposition Congress has declared its intention to independently contest the upcoming tribal council elections. The polling for the 30-member Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) is set for April 12, with vote counting on April 17.
Leaders from both the BJP and TMP have confirmed that the central leadership of their parties has been engaged in a series of meetings in New Delhi to devise a seat-sharing formula. TMP leader Ranjit Debbarma mentioned that party chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma is in talks with BJP leaders in the national capital to solidify the arrangement.
Apart from its discussions with TMP, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party also has another ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), which is reportedly seeking a larger share of seats compared to the 2021 TTAADC elections. Meanwhile, the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president announced that the party will field candidates in all TTAADC seats and focus its campaign on the socio-economic development of tribal communities.
The Adivasi Congress, the tribal wing of the party, has been strategizing for the elections for the past two months, with the list of candidates to be revealed soon. Key issues for the Congress include advocating for direct central funding to the TTAADC, introducing the Roman script for the Kokborok language, and passing the TTAADC Empowerment Bill (125th Constitutional Amendment).
Congress Working Committee member Sudip Roy Barman highlighted that while indigenous communities have experienced governance under the CPI(M)-led Left Front and the TMP, they have not yet given the Congress an opportunity. He pointed out the Congress-led central government’s historical role in the formation of the TTAADC in 1984 and the increase of tribal-reserved seats in the Tripura Assembly.
Most candidates from the CPI(M)-led Left Front have already submitted their nominations and commenced campaigning for the autonomous council elections, with the deadline for nominations set for March 25. In the previous 2021 TTAADC elections, the BJP contested 11 seats and won nine, with a BJP-supported Independent candidate also emerging victorious. The TMP secured 18 seats, leading to the party taking control of the council from the Left Front.
The TTAADC, covering nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s area and home to over 12.16 lakh people, predominantly indigenous, comprises 28 elected members and two nominated by the state government.
