BJP holds ‘Janajati Chintan Shivir’ to boost tribal outreach ahead of 2026 TTAADC polls

Agartala, July 18: With an eye on the elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), slated next year, the ruling BJP today convened a 'Janajati Chintan Shivir' here, seeking to reinforce its organisational base among the tribal communities.

The daylong session was held at the Gitanjali Guest House and witnessed the presence of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, State BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee, Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma, tribal MLAS, TTAADC members, and senior tribal leaders. The meeting served as a platform to deliberate on developmental challenges and fine-tune the BJP's tribal outreach strategies in the run-up to the politically crucial TTAADC elections.

Chief Minister Dr Saha, in a social media post, reiterated the BJP's commitment to tribal welfare under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Good governance has now reached both the plains and the hills. The BJP is actively working towards the socio-economic and political upliftment of Janajati communities," Dr Saha stated.

Scheduled tribes (STs) comprise nearly one-third of Tripura's 40-lakh population, which play a pivotal role in the State's political landscape.

Of the 60 Assembly seats, 20 are reserved for STs. In the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP secured six of these tribal-reserved seats, while the TIPRA Motha Party (TMP), led by royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma emerged as a formidable force by winning 13 seats. The TMP had earlier secured 18 out of the 28 seats in the 2021 TTAADC elections, thereby establishing itself as a dominant player in tribal politics.

The BJP's ally, Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), saw a sharp decline in its support, winning just one seat in 2023 and failing to win any in the 2021 TTAADC polls.

However, with the TMP officially joining hands with the BJP-led alliance in March 2024, the saffron party is now recalibrating its tribal mobilisation strategies. The TTAADC area, covering over two-third of Tripura's land area and housing more than 12 lakh tribal residents, remains a critical battle-ground. The BJP aims to consolidate this alliance and counter-balance earlier setbacks by broadening its tribal connect and delivering on local development priorities.

As the 2026 TTAADC elections approach, Thurs-day's 'Janajati Chintan Shivir' signals the BJP's intent to position itself as a proactive and inclusive force in Tripura's tribal heartland observers stated.