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News Topical, Digital Desk : In this assembly election, tribal voters are decisive in many seats in North Bengal. Especially in districts like Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar, they determine the victory and defeat of candidates.
16 seats reserved for tribal community
Of the 54 assembly seats in North Bengal, 16 are reserved for the tribal community. This is why the BJP and the Trinamool Congress are eyeing this vote bank. This election is a key contest between the two.
In the last assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress lagged significantly in the Terai and Dooars regions, with many tribal-dominated seats going to the BJP.
Now, to strengthen its position in the 2026 elections, Trinamool Congress has placed a major bet on tribal leaders. The party has adopted a strategy to break into the BJP's stronghold by directly fielding prominent tribal leaders in these areas.
Tickets given to
Tribal Welfare Minister Buluchik Baraik has been given the ticket from Mal seat of Jalpaiguri district, while Panchayat Samiti Chairman and strong tribal leader Sanjay Kujur has been fielded from Nagarkata.
In Alipurduar district, Jaiprakash Toppo has been fielded from Madarihat, Rajiv Tirkey from Kumargram and Virendra Bara, a prominent leader of tea workers, from Kalchini.
Phansidewa Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Reena Toppo Ekka has got the ticket as a female tribal face from Phansidewa seat of Darjeeling district.
Trinamool's goal is clear: to secure victory by strengthening its hold on the tribal vote in the Terai and Dooars. The BJP performed well in these tribal-dominated areas in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
BJP's Manoj Tigga became the MP from the Alipurduar Lok Sabha seat. In the Assembly, BJP MLAs were elected from seats like Nagrakata, Kalchini, Kumargram, Madarihat, and Phansidewa. Only the Mal seat remained with the Trinamool.
Trinamool subsequently won the Madarihat by-election, which saw Trinamool improve its position somewhat in the Terai-Duars region and increase its vote share.
Major issues of tribals
The tribal people of the region have long been demanding land rights, education, health, and local employment. They have been demanding a special package for their development.
The biggest problem of tea garden workers in the Dooars area is delay in payment of daily wages, salary and bonus, provident fund, gratuity and other facilities.
In many plantations, salaries remain pending for months.
In many plantations, wages remain unpaid for months. Minimum wages have yet to be established, and these workers continue to protest against this.
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