STAFF REPORTER GUWAHATI:
BPF & Mahajoot Election Tie-up for Bodo Voters: The BPF (Bodoland People's Front) has decided to support the candidates of the 'Mahajoot' outside the BTR (Bodoland Territorial Region) during the Assembly elections. Talking to The Sentinel, BPF spokesperson and former Deputy CEM (Chief Executive Member) of BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council) Khampa Borgoyari added that with the party's agenda of 'Peace, Unity & Prosperity', the prime aim of the 'Mahajoot' will be to defeat the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and its allies (Asom Gana Parishad or AGP and United PeopleParty Liberal or UPPL).
The seven-party 'Mahajoot' includes the Congress, AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front), BPF, Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI-Marxist, CPI (Marxist-Leninist), and the AGM (Anchalik Gana Morcha).
Borgoyari further said, "We have finalized the seat-sharing understanding with our partners in 'Mahajoot'. In the BTR, we will field candidates in all the 12 seats which we won during the 2016 Assembly elections. "There are many Bodo-populated LACs (Legislative Assembly Constituencies) outside the BTR. In these areas, the BPF will support the candidates of our 'Mahajoot' partners."
Providing details of such LACs, Borgoyari pointed out, "Seven LACs have 15,000-plus Bodo voters followed by nine LACs with 10,000-plus electors; and 10 LACs with around 10,000 Bodo electors. We will campaign for the 'Mahajoot' in all these areas."
He said that the BPF will announce its list of candidates shortly.
Mentionably, the BPF contested the last 2016 Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and the AGP. The BPF bagged the 12 LACs of Gossaigaon, Kokrajhar West, Kokrajhar-East, Sidli, Bijni, Tamulpur, Barama, Chapaguri, Panery, Kalaigaon, Udalguri, and Majbat – then in the erstwhile BTAD (Bodoland Territorial Area Districts) and now in the BTR. The State Cabinet also has three Ministers from the BPF.
However, after formation of the new BTC by the alliance of UPPL, BJP, and GSP (Gana Suraksha Party) in the fag end of 2020, rift appeared between the BJP and the BPF. Finally in February 2021, the BPF joined the 'Mahajoot'.