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The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections in Assam subsequent week mark the start of latest political alliances and hostilities earlier than the state elections in 2021. While the BJP has damaged up with its ally in the state authorities, the Bodo People’s Front (BPF), the Congress and the AIUDF have formally come collectively.
Elections to the 40 seats of the BTC are to be held on December 7 and 10. The BJP is contesting the BTC polls by itself, and because the marketing campaign reaches its crescendo, the saffron get together has come out all weapons blazing in opposition to its former ally.
BTC is an autonomous, self-governing physique underneath the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. There have been two Bodo accords earlier—the second led to BTC’s formation in 2003.
Of the 40 seats, 30 are reserved for STs, 5 for non-STs and as many are unreserved. Besides, six nominated members—was to be held on April 4. But it was indefinitely deferred as a result of Covid-19 outbreak.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal started his marketing campaign for the polls on Thursday with a pitch for “parivartan”. “Our aim is that all communities residing in the BTR region, can live with self-respect and dignity… and that all can get the opportunity to stride ahead towards development with dignity,” he instructed a big rally in Udalguri district’s Kalaigaon.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s key chief in the North-East, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been addressing a number of public conferences and holding giant bike and automotive rallies every day in the Bodoland Territorial Region. At a rally final month, Sarma had stated: “Soon, tyres of BPF’s car will be punctured. They have been running because the BJP was inflating their tyres. We will not give any more pump… Now lotus will bloom here and we will keep the plough [BPF’s symbol] in a museum.”
In his speeches, the Assam minister has singled out BPF supremo Hagrama Mohilary, who was additionally the Chief Executive Member of the BTC until earlier this yr. Mohilary reacted to Sarma’s salvo by establishing the competition as a one-on-one battle. “This election is a fight between Himanta Biswa Sarma and me. It is a question of whether he will win or me.”
In the 2015 BTC elections, BPF received 20 seats and got here to energy. The BJP received one.
This yr’s BTC election comes after the Centre signed a landmark peace and growth accord with Bodo teams in January. Over 1,600 members of the militant outfit, National Democratic Front of Bodoland, laid down their arms. The accord and the promise of its fast implementation give the BJP a bonus in the elections.
As the rivalry between the BJP and the BPF performs out, the Congress and the AIUDF have solidified their proposed alliance in opposition to the BJP for the state elections. On Wednesday, state Congress chief Ripun Bora and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal landed in BTR area in a chopper to collectively kick-start their marketing campaign.
“They are always saying Ajmal, Ajmal and Ajmal… If you love Ajmal that much, then come and surrender to Ajmal,” the three-time MP stated at one of many joint rallies on Wednesday, referring to the BJP’s steady assaults on him. He added that this was the primary time in Assam’s political historical past that his get together and the Congress have been campaigning from the identical stage. “Congress is our big brother. We will together work for you,” Ajmal instructed the gang.
The break in the BJP’s alliance with the BPF was marked by the defection of widespread BPF face and Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary.
Daimary, who joined the BJP on November 22 had instructed The Indian Express in November: “One of the main reasons for my resignation from BPF is that the party is opposed to the implementation of the accord signed earlier this year. What happens to the BJP-BPF alliance after results of BTC elections will be decided later.”
State BJP chief Ranjit Dass instructed had The Indian Express earlier: “People want development and we will give it to them. We are seeing over 15,000 people at each of our rallies in BTR. We want equality and development in BTR. The Bodoland elections will show the signs for the state elections next year—we are calling this the semifinal.”
“There is massive corruption in BTC… The Narendra Modi government and the Sarbananda Sonowal government send money for people — but they do not receive the benefits because of the BPF administration,” Dass alleged.
Another main participant in the BTC elections is the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), led by Promod Boro. Boro is the previous president of All Bodo Students’ Union and was one of many signatories of the accord. The UPPL is contesting all 40 seats.
“We are in a good position. It seems BPF and BJP are not on good terms. This will affect the BPF. We are promising peace, unity and security to people,” Boro instructed The Indian Express. “The last 17 years have seen a lot of bloodshed. The accord has put an end to it. So, we are promising security and good governance. We will end corruption.”
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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