Hagrama Mohilary’s GMP had been ruled out by the BJP in last year’s BTC polls.
Guwahati:
In a boost for the congressional-led coalition ahead of next month’s elections in Assam, the Bodoland Popular Front or BPF announced on Saturday that it would resign from the alliance led by the ruling BJP and join the opposition front.
“In order to work for peace, unity and development and achieve a stable, corruption-free government in Assam, the Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) has decided to join MAHAJATH. BPF will no longer maintain its friendship or alliance with BJP In the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, BPF will work hand in hand with Mahajath, “BPF leader Hagrama Mohilary said in a statement on Facebook.
Formed in 2005 in Assam, the Kokrajhar-based BPF had won 12 of the state’s 126 seats in the last assembly elections and joined the BJP-led alliance.
But late last year, the BJP left the BPF and elected a new partner to gain a majority and govern the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), an autonomous body in the Bodo-dominated areas of Assam.
The BPF, which has three ministers in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led coalition government in the state, emerged as the largest party in BTC polls in December, winning 17 seats in the 40-member body.
However, BJP leader and Union Interior Minister Amit Shah congratulated the United Liberal People’s Party (UPPL) for winning 12 seats and called the party an “ally” in his tweet. Sonowal announced that UPPL Director Pramod Boro will be the new Executive Director Member (CEM) of the BTC.
Earlier this month, Assam’s Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made it clear that the ruling BJP will have no alliance with the BPF in the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
“We have been saying it many times that our alliance with BPF was only for five years and both parties were committed to it. They are still in our government and it is a healthy policy,” said the BJP leader.
The BJP is currently the largest party in the 126-member Assam house with 60 MLA, while its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BPF now have 13 and 11 legislators respectively. The ruling coalition is also supported by an Independent MLA.
Assam will see assembly polls in three phases from March 27 to April 6 with results on May 2. For the first time, Congress is not going alone against the BJP. The party has allied itself with once archrival – AIUDF led by Badaruddin Ajmal, a smaller regional group – Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM) and three left-wing parties.
Turning it into a three-way battle is an alliance of two regional parties born from the protests against the CAA in Assam: Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) made up of former members of the Assam Students Union (AASU) and other members of society civil. and the Raijor Dol, made up of supporters of prominent activist Akhil Gogoi, who has been in prison for more than a year on charges of sedition for protests against the CAA.
.
