Left accuses BJP of neglecting tribal areas, announces candidates for ADC polls and Dharmanagar by- polls

Opposition CPI(M)-led Left Front on Monday alleged that the BJP and its allies have kept the tribal areas underdeveloped and failed to undertake meaningful initiatives for the welfare and development of tribals, who constitute nearly one-third of Tripura’s 4.2 million population.

Announcing the candidates for the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), Left Front leaders alleged that corruption and large-scale looting of government funds have become a regular affair in the TTAADC areas.

Tripura Left Front Convener and former Minister Manik Dey alleged that the BJP and its allies -- Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) -- not only kept the tribal areas backwards but also failed to address poverty among indigenous communities.

He claimed that due to extreme poverty, some families were forced to sell their children, while several people allegedly died of hunger in the TTAADC areas. Dey said that since the formation of the TTAADC in April 1985 under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution, the Left parties had won most of the council elections except on three occasions -- in 1990, 2000 and 2021 -- when non-Left parties came to power through “backdoor”.

Leader of the Opposition and CPI (M) state Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said that there would be no alliance with the Congress in the ensuing TTAADC elections, though the Left parties had joined hands with the Congress during the 2023 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

He also alleged that the Tipra Motha Party is an ally of the ruling BJP, but Chief Minister Manik Saha, other ministers and BJP leaders regularly accuse TMP leaders of depriving and betraying the tribals.

According to Chaudhury, TMP leaders have also accused the BJP-led state government of failing to allocate adequate funds to the TTAADC. Announcing the candidates for the forthcoming TTAADC elections, the Left leaders said that out of 28 seats, the CPI (M) would contest 25, while the RSP, Forward Bloc and CPI would field candidates in one seat each.

They also said that around 75 per cent of the candidates are new faces and that former Chief Executive Member Radhacharan Debbarma would also re-contest the elections.

Since 2021, the Tipra Motha Party has been governing the politically significant 30-member council, comprising 28 elected members and two nominated by the state government.

The council covers nearly two-thirds of Tripura's 10,491 sq km area and is home to more than 12.16 lakh people, of whom around 84 per cent belong to indigenous communities.

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 CPI(M) and the Congress -- have intensified their efforts to consolidate support among tribal voters.

The elections to the TTAADC are expected to be held in April. Tribals constitute nearly one-third of Tripura’s total population of about 4.2 million, making the upcoming council elections a crucial political contest in the state.