Agartala, March 24 (NationPress) In a significant political move, shortly after the ruling BJP unveiled its candidates, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) announced its nominees for the forthcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) on Tuesday evening.

The announcement was made by TMP's founder, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, alongside party President Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl.

Senior TMP leader and TTAADC Chairman Jagadish Debbarma will be vying for re-election from the Jirania constituency, while Chief Executive Member Purna Chandra Jamatia will contest again from Killa-Bagma.

Just a day before, TMP chief Debbarma had decisively ruled out any partnership with the BJP for the April 12 TTAADC elections. In a video from New Delhi, the former royal figure emphasized that there would be no electoral agreement without tangible progress on the tripartite accord signed on March 2, 2024.

He underscored that “assurances without execution of the tripartite accord” were unacceptable, insisting that promises must lead to actual action.

Leaders from both the BJP and TMP had previously suggested that the central leadership of both parties had engaged in a series of discussions in New Delhi to consider a seat-sharing agreement. TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma also indicated that the party chief was in talks with BJP leaders to finalize such arrangements.

Positioning the April 12 elections as a pivotal political contest, Debbarma described the elections as a mandate on identity, rights, and the future of the indigenous Tiprasa community. Taking a firm stance, he asserted that he would neither compromise nor yield under pressure, reaffirming his commitment to the indigenous populace.

Earlier on Tuesday, Tripura BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee stated that his party would contest all 28 seats.

Bhattacharjee, who also serves as a Rajya Sabha member, informed the media: “The BJP currently holds nine seats in the TTAADC, with seven being renominated. Several prominent tribal leaders, including state General Secretary Bipin Debbarma, will also be contesting.”

He added that if they are voted back into power in the TTAADC, the BJP would ensure effective and transparent governance aimed at the comprehensive development of the tribal population, which constitutes nearly one-third of Tripura’s total population of about 4.2 million.

The upcoming council elections are viewed as a critical political contest in the state. Chief Minister Manik Saha, Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy, and several other BJP leaders were present at the media briefing.

Just before the BJP's candidate announcement, two notable TMP leaders, Ananta Debbarma and Swadagar Kalai, switched allegiance to the BJP. The party has nominated both of them for the elections.

Voting for the politically significant 30-member TTAADC is scheduled for April 12, with results expected on April 17. The council, regarded as the second most crucial constitutional body in the state after the Tripura Assembly, consists of 28 elected members and two appointed by the state government.

Given the recent political dynamics, the elections are anticipated to witness a multi-faceted contest, with the TMP aiming to turn the polls into a referendum on indigenous rights. The BJP’s other junior ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), has also independently declared candidates for nine seats.

While the IPFT has been a longstanding ally of the BJP, the TMP, under Debbarma’s leadership, has been a part of the ruling coalition since March 2024. Both TMP and IPFT are tribal-centric parties with significant sway in the state’s indigenous territories.

After extensive discussions, the TMP, at that time part of the opposition, signed a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2, 2024, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The party subsequently joined the BJP-led coalition government on March 7, 2024, altering the political landscape of the state. Two TMP MLAs, Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma, were later inducted into the council of ministers led by Chief Minister Manik Saha.

Since 2021, the Tipra Motha Party has administered the strategically crucial TTAADC. In the 2021 council elections, the BJP contested 11 seats, securing nine, while a BJP-backed Independent candidate also won before later joining the TMP. However, the TMP emerged as the dominant force by clinching 18 seats and seizing control of the council from the CPI(M)-led Left Front.

The council oversees nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km region and is home to over 1.216 million individuals, with about 84 percent belonging to indigenous communities.

Leading up to the elections, major political parties, including the BJP, its allies IPFT and TMP, as well as opposition parties like the CPI(M) and Congress, have ramped up efforts to consolidate backing among tribal voters. The Left parties and Congress have already announced candidates for all 28 seats.