Agartala, April 17 (IANS) Amid stringent three-tier security arrangements, the counting of votes for the crucial elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) is underway across all eight districts of the state.

More than 83.52 per cent of the 9,62,697 eligible voters exercised their franchise on April 12 in the TTAADC elections, which will determine the fate of 173 candidates.

A State Election Commission (SEC) official said that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, have been imposed in and around counting centres to ensure the maintenance of law and order.

With the deployment of both central and state security forces, foolproof security arrangements have been put in place in and around all 17 counting centres spread across the state, the official added.

The 30-member TTAADC, comprising 28 elected representatives and two members nominated by the state government, administers nearly 70 per cent of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km geographical area. This makes it a strategically important constitutional body, second only to the state Assembly in terms of political significance.

The electoral contest in the tribal council polls features three national parties — the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition CPI(M)-led Left Front, and the Congress — alongside two prominent regional parties, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT).

Several smaller parties and Independent candidates are also in the fray.

According to SEC officials, the BJP, TMP, and the Left Front have fielded candidates in all 28 constituencies. The Congress contested 27 seats, while the IPFT nominated candidates in 24 constituencies. In addition, 38 Independent candidates, along with nominees from smaller parties, are contesting the elections.

The BJP’s two tribal-based allies — TMP and IPFT — contested separately after failing to forge an electoral alliance for the TTAADC polls. Since 2021, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of the BJP, has governed the strategically important council, which is widely regarded as the second most significant constitutional body in Tripura after the state Assembly.

The TTAADC was constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution in June 1985 to promote the socio-economic development of tribal communities, who continue to play a vital role in the state’s political dynamics. Tribal communities account for nearly one-third of Tripura’s 4.2 million population.

–IANS

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