Agartala, March 7 (IANS) Ahead of the crucial elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Saturday, intensified its efforts to capture the constitutionally empowered tribal council, considered the second most important political body in the state after the State Assembly.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has chaired a key meeting with BJP Janajati (tribal) leaders at the state party headquarters and held detailed discussions on the party’s preparations for the upcoming elections.

Chief Minister Saha said that with the TTAADC polls approaching, the state BJP has already begun formulating its electoral strategy.

“Everyone is aware that the TTAADC elections are approaching. Keeping this in mind, the State BJP unit has already started working on its strategy,” the Chief Minister added.

“Today (Saturday), Janajati Morcha karyakartas, leaders and members have gathered here. Janajati leaders, former TTAADC members, general secretaries, office-bearers and MLAs were also present in the meeting. The main objective was to discuss the steps we need to take in the coming days and how we will contest the election. A detailed discussion was held today at the Pradesh BJP office,” he said.

Among those present at the meeting were State BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee, BJP Janajati Morcha President Parimal Debbarma, BJP organisational secretary for Tripura and Assam Ravindra Raju, state general secretary Bipin Debbarma, Minister Bikash Debbarma and several other party leaders.

Ahead of the upcoming TTAADC polls, major political parties — including the BJP, its allies Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) — as well as opposition parties such as the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress, have intensified efforts to consolidate support among tribal voters.

The elections to the TTAADC are expected to be held by the end of March or in April.

Since 2021, the Tipra Motha Party has been governing the politically significant 30-member council, which covers nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km geographical area and is home to more than 12.16 lakh people, around 84 per cent of whom belong to indigenous communities.

Tribals constitute nearly one-third of Tripura’s total population of about 4.2 million, making the upcoming TTAADC elections a crucial political contest in the state.

–IANS

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