A total of 157 candidates are contesting in elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) slated for April 6. 24 candidates, mostly Independents, have withdrawn from the fray on March 17 — the last day for withdrawal.
The election to the 28-member TTAADC will be a multi-corner contest with major parties filling up candidates. The Congress is only a party contesting in all 28 seats while the other parties are fighting in alliance.
Though the BJP and its ally in the coalition government have a struck electoral alliance, they are fighting against each other in three seats. The BJP has put up 14 candidates and the IPFT 17.
The TIPRA (Tipraha Indigenous People’s Regional Alliance) floated by the State's royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman has worked out an electoral alliance with the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and a few smaller regional parties.
Mr. Debbarman himself is contesting from Takarjala-Jampuijala segment which has been known as an IPFT bastion.
Meanwhile, three people were injured in a clash between supporters of the TIRA and IPFT at Behalabari in Khowai district. One of them was shifted to the GBP Hospital in Agartala.
The TTAADC was formed in 1982 under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and it has limited authority over the 68% of the State's total geographical area.
Election in the tribal council is taking place to comply with a directive from the High Court of Tripura. Counting of votes will take place on April 10.
