Assam polls: BJP to contest 4 of 15 Bodoland Territorial Council seats, challenge for UPPL

Guwahati: For regional party United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) task is cut out in the assembly polls, BJP has declared that it will contest four seats out of 15 seats in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said its ally Bodoland People's Front (BPF) will contest 11 seats. Now UPPL must talk to BPF if it wants to contest the alliance. BTC has 15 seats.

Sarma said, “Our alliance is with BPF. UPPL must have an alliance with BPF. We will contest four seats while BPF will contest 11 seats. BPF is the senior party in BTC and if there has to be an alliance it has to be with BPF for seats will be shared from the 11 seats which BPF will contest.”


UPPL, an ally of ruling BJP, has recently announced that it will contest a total of 21 seats in this year’s Assam Assembly elections.

The party plans to contest 15 seats within the BTC region and six seats outside BTC.

Sarma announced that BJP will release its candidate list by mid-March. Also “By the 16th or 17th, the BJP candidate list will be out. We will have only one list, and it will take only a day.”

In the present assembly BJP has 64 MLAs, while its allies — Asom Gana Parishad, United People’s Party Liberal and Bodoland People’s Front — have nine, seven and three legislators, respectively. In the Opposition, the Congress has 26 MLAs, the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) 15, the CPI(M) one, and one Independent.

Recently BPF president and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Hagrama Mohilary ruled out the possibility of jointly fighting the assembly with UPPL.

BTC accounts for 15 assembly seats. BPF swept the council polls held in September last year. The United Peoples’ Party-Liberal was ruling the outgoing council in an alliance with the BJP and could secure only seven seats in the 40-member house. BJP could win only 5 seats in the BTC elections.

BJP is part of the BTC government as BPF has joined the NDA. Outside council Bodo votes are the determining factor in at least 10 assembly seats.

AIUDF
The All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has announced its first list of nominees for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, naming candidates for nine constituencies across the state.

The list was released through a circular issued by AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal on Monday.

According to the list, Aminul Islam has been nominated from the Rupahihat Assembly constituency, while Rafiqul Islam will contest from Mandia. Minakshi Rahman has been fielded from Paka Betbari, and Abu Taber Bepari has been nominated from Parbatjhora. From the Gauripur constituency, the party has named Nizanur Rahman as its candidate, while Rejaul Karim Sarkar will contest from Srijangram. Matibur Rahman has been nominated from Dhing, and Sabana Aktar will contest from Bilasipara.