'Not getting that confidence': Himanta Biswa Sarma doubtful of BJP win in Assembly polls after BTC washout

Guwahati: Faced with drubbing in last year's polls in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is not very upbeat about the prospects of the party in the upcoming assembly polls.

BTC accounts for 15 assembly seats and Assam is going to assembly polls early this year. Sarma while talking to media persons in Bijni on Thursday said, “We have lost the polls in BTC and now I am not sure if we will win or not in the assembly polls.”

He added, “There is hardly any enthusiasm for me. I am not getting that confidence. Candidates who are aspiring to contest will be in a better position to say as if we lost in the council polls how are we going to win the assembly polls. Had we won we would have given candidates for all the 10 seats however those aspiring for a party ticket must first ask themselves if the public is with them or not.”


Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF) swept the council polls held in September last year. The United Peoples’ Party-Liberal (UPPL) 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. The BTC accounts for 15 assembly seats and outside council Bodo votes are the determining factor in at least 10 assembly seats. BTC is the sixth scheduled council under the Constitution of India.

Sarma earlier had said that seat sharing talks with allies will start shortly and attempts are made to bring both BPF and UPPL together and contest the assembly polls.

BPF Chief Hagrama Mohilary on Thursday said the BJP government will come to power for a third consecutive term. “We will win all the 15 seats.”