Agartala: The upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) are set to witness an intense multi-cornered contest, with major political players entering the fray independently after alliance talks failed.
Polling for the 28-member council is scheduled for April 12, with a total of 173 candidates contesting across constituencies.
The electorate for the tribal council stands at over 9.6 lakh voters, making it a crucial political exercise in Tripura.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Tipra Motha Party are contesting all 28 seats separately after failing to reach a seat-sharing agreement.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has fielded candidates in 27 constituencies, while the Indian National Congress is contesting 25 seats.
Adding to the competitive landscape, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura, an ally of the BJP, has put forward candidates in 24 seats, further intensifying the contest.
Officials said a total of 181 nominations were initially received, but eight candidates withdrew their papers by the March 28 deadline, bringing the final tally to 173 contestants. State election commission secretary Anurag Sen confirmed the figures.
In the previous 2021 elections, the Tipra Motha Party emerged as the dominant force, winning 18 seats to form the council, while the BJP-IPFT alliance secured nine seats.
Counting of votes for the TTAADC elections will take place on April 17, determining the political future of the autonomous tribal body.