The outcome of the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) will play an important role in deciding whether Tripura could have a tribal chief minister after the 2028 Assembly elections, TIPRA Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said on March 11. Debbarma made the statement while addressing a party rally at Killa in Gomati district. He said the results of the TTAADC elections would reflect the political strength of indigenous communities and could shape the future leadership of the state in the coming years.The election schedule for the TTAADC has not yet been announced. However, the current tenure of the tribal council is set to end on April 20, and political activities around the upcoming polls have already started to intensify in the region.Speaking at the rally, Debbarma told supporters that the council elections would be a crucial political test for the future of the tribal population in Tripura. According to him, the outcome of the polls will influence whether a tribal leader can emerge as chief minister after the 2028 Assembly elections.
During his address, the TMP leader also criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He alleged that there was a “secret deal” between the BJP leadership and Chief Minister Manik Saha. Debbarma claimed that the chief minister was not strong enough to safeguard the rights of the indigenous communities in the state.He further accused the BJP government of weakening tribal institutions. Debbarma alleged that funds meant for village committees have not been released for a long time. He also claimed that elections to village committees have not been conducted for several years, which he said has slowed development work in tribal areas.
Debbarma also alleged that the BJP may spend significant resources during the upcoming council elections in an attempt to secure victory. However, he urged voters not to be influenced by money or other inducements during the polls.
