BJP dumps ally, picks new one to rule Assam's Bodo council

GUWAHATI: The BJP in Assam on Sunday chose a new ally over the old one to rule the autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). As it went to the BTC elections, the BJP had ditched old ally Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and forged a tacit alliance with the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).

The BPF and BJP, both alliance partners in the state government, had contested the BTC election separately. The elections threw up a fractured mandate with the BPF emerging as the single-largest party, winning 17 of the council’s 40 seats. The BJP won nine seats and the UPPL 12. One seat each went to the Congress and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP).

After the results were declared late Saturday night, rebel leader-turned-BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary had sought the BJP’s support to form the council but the latter decided to back the UPPL which is headed by former student leader Pramod Bodo. The GSP, led by Kokrajhar MP and former insurgent leader Naba Kumar Sarnia, will be the third entity in the coalition.

Pramod Bodo has been named as the BTC’s next Chief Executive Member (CEM). His deputy will be from the BJP. “My cabinet colleague Himanta Biswa Sarma has already said the UPPL, BJP and the GSP will together form the council. Pramod Bodo will be the CEM and his deputy will be from the BJP,” Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said.

He expressed happiness that the elections were “peaceful and democratic” with the overwhelming participation of people. The BJP and the BPF had fought each other all throughout election campaign despite both being constituents in the state’s coalition government along with the Asom Gana Parishad.

The BPF has three ministers in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led coalition government in the state. The BPF was pilloried by its rivals for alleged large-scale corruption. It ruled the BTC ever since its creation in 2003 as a political solution to the Bodo agitation for a separate state. The BTC administers four districts such as Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri.

Allies in state govt face each other

The BPF and BJP, both alliance partners in the state government, had contested the BTC election separately. The BPF has three ministers in the BJP-led coalition government in the state.