Ahead of the state assembly elections in March-April next year, political parties in Assam are fighting in a semi-final to take over the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
Voting for the council, which administers the Bodoland territorial region covering Udalguri, Kokrajhar, Baksa and Chirang, will take place in two phases on Monday and Thursday. The vote count will take place on December 12.
Voting for 40 seats on the council, which is included in the Sixth Program of the Constitution, scheduled for April was postponed due to Covid-19 and the area placed under the governor’s rule.
Since its formation in 2003, BTC had been ruled by Hagrama Mohilary, a former rebel who now heads the Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF), a partner in the ruling coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with the Asom Gana Parishad ( AGP) as a third partner.
But relations between the BJP and the BPF began to deteriorate after BTC was placed under the governor’s rule. Both parties are now disputing the BTC polls separately. the BPF has run for 37 seats, while the BJP is running for 26 and supports independent candidates in the other seats.
The campaign has been bitter and personal with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accusing Mohilary of large-scale corruption and the latter calling the former a bully.
“There is a lack of development in the BTC areas due to the poor governance of BPF. The large crowds at our rallies indicate that the BJP will come to power in BTC this time, ”Sarma said at an election rally in the Udalguri district on Saturday, the last day of the campaign for the first phase of voting.
Fighting back, Mohilary said at an election rally: “Sarma may be a bully in Dispur, but he has no say in BTC. We will return to power again and the BJP’s plan to rule BTC will fail. ”
Apart from the BJP and the BPF, the opposition Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which have an agreement for the assembly elections, are contesting a total of 20 seats.
The other main contenders are the Peoples’ United Liberal Party (UPPL), which is contesting 40 seats, and the Gana Surakha Party (GSP) of Kokrajhar MP Nava Sarania, which is fighting for 35 seats.
The BTC polls would be the first elections in Assam since the Covid-19 pandemic began and the administrative machinery and voting machinery are poised to ensure smooth voting while maintaining all protocols.
“There are 11 constituencies in our district and almost 700,000 voters. Electoral parties have gone to their stations and security arrangements have been made for Monday’s vote. Masks, disinfectants, etc. have been provided. to election officials and social distancing will be maintained during the elections, ”said Ranjan Sarma, deputy commissioner for Baksa district.
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