Agartala, March 18 (IANS) In view of various tribal festivals, the Tripura State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday preponed the crucial elections to the 30‑member Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) to April 12.

The SEC had earlier announced that the polls would be held on April 13, setting the stage for a major electoral contest in the state’s tribal‑dominated regions.​

The statutory notification for the TTAADC elections was issued by the concerned returning officers on Wednesday.​

SEC Secretary Anurag Sen, in a notification, said the Commission had received representations from community leaders, Ministers, MLAs, political parties, and NGOs requesting reconsideration of the April 13 poll date. ​

The appeals cited that April 13 marks the onset of major tribal festivals such as Garia Puja, Bizu, and Buisu, celebrated widely across many of the poll‑bound areas.​

Sen said the Commission aims to ensure maximum participation from all communities and therefore considers it prudent to avoid dates that coincide with customary festivals.

He added that during the ongoing Budget Session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, the matter was discussed and a resolution was proposed to advance the poll date to April 12.​

Considering all aspects, the SEC set April 12, 2026, as the new polling date for the TTAADC elections, while clarifying that all other announced dates remain unchanged.​

Tripura State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar had earlier said that the last date for filing nominations is March 25, with scrutiny scheduled for the following day.

The deadline for withdrawal of candidature is March 28, and counting of votes will take place on April 17.​

Since 2021, the politically influential TTAADC has been governed by the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of the ruling BJP, led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma. The council comprises 28 elected members and two nominated by the state government.​

In the 2021 elections, the BJP contested 11 seats and won 9, while a BJP‑supported Independent also won. The tribal‑based TMP emerged as the dominant force by winning 18 seats, taking control of the council from the CPI(M)‑led Left Front.​

The TTAADC administers nearly two‑thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km area and is home to more than 12.16 lakh people, of whom nearly 84 per cent belong to indigenous tribal communities.​

Established on August 23, 1984, following the 49th Amendment to the Constitution, the TTAADC was created to safeguard the rights, welfare, and development of the tribal population.

The first elections to the fully functional council were held in 1985, marking a milestone in the movement for tribal self‑governance.​

–IANS

sc/dan