Agartala, April 10: Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), with more than 13,500 Central and state security personnel set to be deployed to ensure peaceful and fair polling on April 12, officials said on Friday.
The 30-member TTAADC—comprising 28 elected representatives and two nominated members—administers nearly 70 per cent of Tripura’s geographical area, making it a strategically crucial constitutional body in the state.
Tripura Director General of Police Anurag stated that 24 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), comprising around 1,500 personnel, have been provided by the Centre at the last moment. These include 12 companies of the Border Security Force (BSF), 10 of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and two of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The forces will be deployed across all 28 constituencies by Saturday.
In addition, around 12,000 personnel from the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and state police will be on duty to maintain law and order. Of the 1,257 polling stations, 311 have been categorised as highly critical, 693 as vulnerable, and 253 as normal, reflecting the scale of the security challenge.
The DGP emphasised that comprehensive measures have been taken to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections, urging voters to participate without fear and cooperate with authorities.
According to State Election Commission Secretary Anurag Sen, a total of 9,62,697 voters, including 4,80,666 women, are eligible to cast their votes. The electorate is predominantly from tribal communities.
The elections have drawn participation from major political players, including the BJP, CPI(M)-led Left Front, Congress, and regional parties such as the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT). Altogether, 173 candidates are contesting across 28 seats, with BJP, TMP, and the Left Front fielding candidates in all constituencies.
The high-stakes contest has seen intense campaigning by leaders such as Chief Minister Manik Saha, CPI(M) leader Jitendra Chaudhury, former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman, and TMP chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma.
Constituted under the Sixth Schedule in 1985, the TTAADC plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of tribal communities, who form nearly one-third of Tripura’s population, making the upcoming polls politically significant.
