Agartala (Tripura) [India], April 12 : BJP candidate Bipin Debbarma on Sunday expressed confidence that his party will form the government in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections 2026 after casting his vote in the ongoing polls.
Debbarma cast his vote at the 15-Jirania ST District Council polling centre in Tripura during the elections.
Speaking to ANI, he said that voting was being conducted peacefully across the region, with enthusiastic participation from the electorate since the early hours of polling.
"Today I have cast my vote at the polling station. In a democracy, we exercise this right with celebration. Voting has been going on smoothly everywhere since early morning. People are welcoming this election with enthusiasm, excitement, and joy," he said.
Expressing confidence in his party's prospects, he added, "People are seeing that this time the BJP will be brought to power in the ADC. The way people are trusting the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and our state Chief Minister Manik Saha, we are forming a government in the ADC."
Debbarma is the BJP candidate from the Damcherra-Kachucherra ST constituency in Dhalai district, where polling is underway as part of the broader electoral exercise for the TTAADC.
Earlier, the overall voter turnout in the ongoing general election of the TTAADC 2026 stood at around 21.5 per cent till 9 am, according to official polling data.
As per the two-hourly polling report, out of a total of 951,613 registered voters, nearly 204,679 electors exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling from 7 am to 9 am, showing strong participation during the morning hours.
Between 7 am and 9 am, around 100,058 male voters cast their votes, while 104,621 votes were cast by women, indicating a higher female voter turnout.
Among constituencies, several ST-reserved seats, including Kathalia-Mirza Rajpur, Maharani-Chelagang, and Ramchandraghat, reported comparatively higher turnout, touching around 24-25 per cent, while constituencies such as Machmara, Chaumanu, and Dasda-Kanchanpur recorded relatively lower participation in the range of 20-21 per cent.
Dhamcharra-Jampui recorded the lowest voter turnout so far, with just 16 per cent of the voters coming to vote in the first two hours of the polls.
According to Tripura State Election Commission Secretary Anurag Sen, a total of 1,257 polling stations have been set up to ensure smooth voting across all 28 constituencies of the TTAADC.
The election will cover 16 subdivisions under the TTAADC areas, with a total of 962,547 registered voters, including 481,959 male voters, 480,582 female voters, and six transgender voters.
The contest features 173 candidates, of which 165 are male, and eight are female.
The TTAADC enjoys a unique position under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which provides it with significant autonomy in governing the tribal regions of Tripura. This framework enables the Council to oversee matters related to the protection of indigenous customs, local governance, and economic advancement in these areas.
With wide-ranging administrative and legislative powers, the TTAADC plays a crucial role in guiding development initiatives, improving infrastructure, promoting education, and safeguarding cultural heritage. Its functioning ensures that the indigenous communities of Tripura can progress socio-economically while preserving their distinct identity, making it a vital institution for self-governance and community welfare in the region.