Bhubaneswar, May 8 -- With the first phase of the 2024 Elections in Odisha scheduled on May 13, tribals hold the key to the electoral fortunes of the three major parties the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress in the tribal-dominated Nabarangpur, Koraput, Rayagada and Malkangiri districts.

As per reports, there are 8,52,524 voters in Nabarangpur with four Assembly constituencies. Of them, 6 lakh voters are tribals. About 50 per cent of the tribals belong to the Bhatra community.

Moreover, a major chunk of the electorate in Koraput belongs to the Bhatra community and their number is 7 lakh. Given their dominant population, this tribal community will play a crucial role in deciding the fates of the par...