Tripura: 17000 Bru IDPs to cast vote in Lok Sabha polls

As many as 17,000 Bru internally displaced people in Tripura will cast their votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Due to ethnic violence in the western part of Mizoram in October 1997, a large number of minority Bru (Reang) families migrated to the North Tripura district in 1997-1998. Approximately 30,000 Bru migrants (5,000 families) were given shelter in six relief camps set up in the Kanchanpur district of North Tripura.

On 3rd July 2018, an agreement was signed between the Centre, the Government of Mizoram, Tripura, and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) for the permanent resettlement of Bru people in Tripura.

Also Read: Tripura : 70 companies of central forces arrive in state for LS polls

After the agreement, they were permanently resettled in 12 locations across the state.

Addressing a press conference this evening, Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Puneet Agarwal said that during the 2023 Assembly election, state election officials set up some auxiliary polling stations which were later converted into permanent polling stations.

“During the 2023 Assembly election, the Bru issue was important as they were moving to different districts. Across the state, there are 12 locations where the Bru people were resettled permanently. During the last assembly election, we set up auxiliary polling stations which were later converted into permanent polling stations. Most of the Bru families enrolled their names in the voter list. Around 17,000 Bru people will cast their votes in Tripura,” he said.