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These days there are no assembly elections in Tripura but elections are being held to compete with them. This is an election which directly affects the assembly elections. It is none other than the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections. It is said that whichever party comes to power in this council of 28 members, it also almost comes to power in the state assembly.

The campaign for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council elections ended on 10 April. Now voting will be held on April 12 for all 28 seats in eight districts of the state. Its results will come on April 17. TTAADC has emerged as an important battleground between the regional and national parties of Tripura.

Currently, Tripura Council is ruled by Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma’s Tipra Motha Party. To maintain his control over the council, Tipra Motha ran a vigorous election campaign this time too. At the same time, BJP under the leadership of Chief Minister Manik Saha is trying to snatch the council power from Tipra Motha. Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Congress have also conducted election campaigns on a large scale.

TTAADC Council which covers approximately two-thirds of the geographical area of ​​Tripura. About 13 lakh people live in these 28 seats. In such a situation, let us know why the party that wins the Tripura Autonomous Council rules the hearts of the tribals of the state…

rigorous preparation for elections

Giving information, State Election Commission Secretary Anurag Sen said that the election campaign period ended without any major incident. He said that there are a total of 9,62,679 voters in the state. These voters will decide the fate of 173 candidates contesting in Tripura Council elections. This election result is expected to decide the direction of tribal politics in Tripura.

Strict security arrangements have been made in the council area. Tripura DGP Anurag said that a tight security arrangement has been made to ensure free and fair voting. Over 12,000 personnel of Tripura State Rifles and State Police along with 24 companies of Central Paramilitary Force have been deployed.

30 percent tribal community in Tripura

In fact, 30 percent of the total population of Tripura belongs to the tribal community. Tribal communities like Tripuri, Reang (Bru), Jamatiya, Chakma, Halam live in the state. These tribes mainly live in the hilly and rural areas of Tripura. The community votes on the basis of its tribal issues, Greater Tipraland and demand for tribal rights. In such a situation, whichever party talks about their rights, their votes go to it only. At present, Pradyot Debbarma has emerged as the biggest leader of the tribals.

Representation of tribals in the assembly

There are total 60 assembly seats in Tripura Assembly. Out of these 60 seats, 20 seats are reserved for tribal communities. That means almost one-third of the seats are directly dependent on tribal voters. In such a situation, the council controls these 20 seats. The party that wins the TTAADC elections has a huge impact on the mathematics of the assembly elections. There are a total of 28 seats in the council. Out of this, Tipra Motha has 18 seats. The special thing is that in 2021, Tipra Motha came to power in the council by contesting elections for the first time. Besides, it was also successful in winning 13 seats of the state assembly.

Tribal in the role of kingmaker

These tribal communities play the role of kingmakers in Tripura. If any party wants to form a government, it must perform well in tribal areas. Many times tribal votes prove to be decisive in forming or bringing down the government in the state. TTAADC is not a typical local body. It was created under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in the year 1982. It is an autonomous body that governs approximately 70 percent of the geographical area of ​​Tripura. This council works for the welfare of tribals.

money game in council

30 percent tribal population of Tripura has long standing grievances. Their grievances include limited financial autonomy, lack of ownership of land within TTAADC boundaries, poor access to health and drinking water, and low representation in political institutions. In Tripura, Rs 7,542 crore was given for Tribal Sub Plan in the budget of 2026-27. This is 39.39 percent of the total expenditure of the state. But, TTAADC’s share in this was only Rs 914.82 crore. Regional parties have always accused the council of lack of funds. In return, state governments blame administrative failures within the council itself.