Agartala: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its junior ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), are gearing up for the crucial Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, with both parties holding separate strategic meetings in Agartala on Thursday to chalk out their respective roadmaps.
The BJP in its ‘Chintan Baithak’ (brainstorming session) focused on strengthening its organizational presence and refining strategies for the upcoming polls, while also deliberating on the welfare of the Janajati communities.
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Chief Minister Manik Saha, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee, Tribal Welfare Minister Bikas Debbarma, former MP Rebati Tripura, and other prominent tribal leaders attended the meeting.
Saha reiterated the government’s commitment to the holistic development of Tripura’s Janajati population, which constitutes 31% of the state’s population according to the 2011 Census.
“We have our focus on uplifting their socio-economic conditions across education, infrastructure, healthcare, sports, and livelihood. We recognize 20 tribal communities, including the newly recognized Darlong community, and aim to give equal importance to each while ensuring fair representation for all. Preliminary discussions on the party’s poll planks for the TTAADC elections also constituted a significant portion of the meeting,” said Saha.
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Meanwhile, the IPFT, a key ally in the BJP-led coalition, announced its intent to contest the 2026 ADC elections with renewed vigour, aiming for a comeback after a setback in the 2021 polls.
Tripura Cooperation Minister and senior IPFT leader Shukla Charan Noatia stated that the party has regained strength, with many former leaders returning.
IPFT President Prem Kumar Reang said that the party’s longstanding demand for a separate state under the Sixth Schedule, a core ideological commitment for over 15 years.
He clarified that the alliance with the BJP is a tactical political understanding and does not dilute their ideological stance.
Reang asserted that the IPFT would continue to raise indigenous issues through constitutional means, regardless of electoral outcomes.
Both parties are now reviewing their preparedness and outlining grassroots outreach and welfare-centric initiatives as the TTAADC elections draw closer.
The politically vital elections are slated to be held in 2026. Tipra Motha Party, another constituent of the ruling coalition, is right now in power in the ADC, which constitutes 75 percent of the state’s total geographical area.