Key Tripura tribal council polls see just 8 women among 173 candidates

In a clear sign of low female representation, only 4.62 per cent of the 173 candidates contesting the April 12 elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) are women.

The autonomous council, set up in 1982 to promote the socio-economic development of tribal communities, is regarded as the state’s second most important constitutional body after the Assembly.

Officials of the Tripura State Election Commission (SEC), which is conducting the polls, said only eight women candidates are in the fray. Among the major parties, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, its ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP), the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Congress have fielded one woman each.

The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has nominated three women, while one woman is contesting as an Independent.

The TMP and the IPFT, both tribal-based parties and allies of the BJP, are contesting separately after failing to reach a seat-sharing agreement.

In the 2021 TTAADC elections, six women had contested, of whom two — Swapna Rani Das and Dolly Reang — were elected. The 30-member council comprises 28 elected members and two nominated by the state government.

The TTAADC administers nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s geographical area of 10,491 sq km and serves a population of over 12.16 lakh, about 84 per cent of whom belong to indigenous tribal communities. This makes it a key institution in the state’s political structure.

The elections have drawn all major political players, including the BJP, the CPI(M)-led Left Front, and the Congress. Regional parties such as the TMP and the IPFT, along with several smaller outfits and Independent candidates, are also in the contest.

According to SEC officials, the BJP, TMP, and the Left Front have fielded candidates in all 28 seats. The Congress is contesting 27 seats, while the IPFT has put up candidates in 24. In addition, 38 Independents and nominees from smaller parties are in the race.

The Tipra Motha Party has been in power in the TTAADC since 2021. In the last elections, it emerged as the dominant force by winning 18 seats and taking control of the council from the CPI(M). The BJP had contested 11 seats and won nine, while a BJP-backed Independent also secured victory and later joined the TMP.

Tribals make up nearly one-third of Tripura’s 42 lakh population and continue to play a decisive role in the state’s political landscape.