STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: All rumour mills are active at Dispur as to "whether the three BPF (Bodoland People's Party) Ministers in the coalition at Dispur will complete their term". The situation has come to such a pass as, it seems, there is no love lost between the two coalition partners after the BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council) polls.
The relationship between the BJP and the BPF turned sour in the run-up to the BTC poll campaign even as the tempo of verbal attacks against each other seems to have come down a little now. Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, State party president Ranjeet Kumar Dass and others did drop enough hints for the three BPF Ministers to quit the Cabinet.
Regarding this, Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma said, "The portfolios which we're holding in the Ministry now aren't gifts from the BJP. We had an alliance with the BJP, and as such the portfolios came to us. Now there's no reason for the BJP leaders to misbehave us. So long there's alliance, we'll be in the Ministry."
WPT&BC Minister Chandan Brahma said, "We had a pre-poll alliance with the BJP. We never betrayed our ally, nor will we ever do that. It's the BJP that started to attack us during the BTC poll campaign. We just responded to what they had said. It's not big a deal to continue as Ministers. After December 12, there'll be a paradigm shift on the political front in Assam."
Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had gone hammer and tongs against Hagrama Mohilary, toned down his voice a little, and said, "If they want, the three BPF Ministers can continue till the term expires. However, the possibility of BJP-BPF alliance for the 2021 Assembly election is remote."
Meanwhile, a source in the BPF said, "It was the BPF that made the first rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi possible at Kokrajhar before the 2016 Assembly election in the State. We pulled huge crowed at the rally. That's not all. Apart from the 12 LACs (Legislative Assembly Constituencies) in the BTAD (Bodoland Territorial Area Districts), it was Hagrama Mohilary who could tilt a number of LACs towards BJP candidates."
Now everything hinges around Mohilary if the three BPF Ministers will continue in Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's Cabinet.
Meanwhile, Mohilary said, "I'm confident of victory. Himanta Biswa Sarma made an attempt to harm the Bodos. I won't share any dais with him."
Also Watch: BTC Polls Phase II: Violence in Chirang