BPF suffers setback ahead of Bodo council polls, former MP, MLA ditch party to join BJP

GUWAHATI: Dealing a blow to the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) ahead of crucial Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, senior leaders Biswajit Daimary and sitting MLA Emmanuel Mushahary deserted the party and joined the BJP on Sunday.

Daimary was the BPF’s go-to man and founder general secretary. The BJP had backed his election to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. He resigned as MP on Saturday.

Daimary and Mushahary joined the saffron party at Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s official residence in Guwahati in the presence of the BJP’s state unit president Ranjit Kumar Dass and national general secretary Dilip Saikia.

After welcoming the duo, Sonowal said both had performed important responsibilities in the BPF.

“They are rich in experience and contributed immensely to the Assamese society. Their joining the BJP has made it certain that the party will capture power in the BTC,” the CM said.

Later, he tweeted: “Glad to welcome senior Bodo community leaders, Shri Biswajit Daimary and Shri Emmanuel Mushahary to the @BJP4India family. Their joining adds more strength to @BJP4Assam”.

Daimary said issues such as underdevelopment, unemployment etc were afflicting the people in the four districts of Bodoland Territorial Region that are governed by the BTC.

“The people want a change in the BTC. Change is imminent, for the BJP is going to wrest power,” Daimary said, adding, “Some senior BPF leaders will also join hands with the BJP soon”.

The much-anticipated elections to the 40-seat BTC will be held next month. The elections, first scheduled in April, had to be deferred indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BPF has ruled the BTC ever since its creation in 2003. The BJP is going all guns blazing this time around to capture power in the council. It ditched ally BPF to forge an alleged tacit alliance with the United People’s Party Liberal which is headed by former student leader Pramod Bodo.