A CORRESPONDENT
TANGLA: Bodoland People's Front (BPF) president Hagrama Mohilary on Friday exhorted the people of the State to vote for the Congress-led Grand Alliance in the third phase of the Assam Assembly polls, promising to bring in 'development' and 'unity' along with fulfillment of the five guarantees given by the Congress.
Addressing a massive crowd at Bangalipara in Baksa district, Mohilary opined that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made several promises, including Rs 1000 crore special package to the BTC and introduction of chopper service in Udalguri, never to be fulfilled. He further asserted that the BPF had joined the Congress-led Grand Alliance to oust the BJP from power. He further asserted that the people of Tamulpur must consider that BPF candidate Rangja Khungur Basumatary was in a state of incarceration and vote for the BPF in the polls as the BPF-aided Grand Alliance would be voted to power by the people. He also assured the gathering that he would personally shoulder the responsibility of bringing in rapid progress and development in the Tamulpur constituency if the people reposed their faith in the party. He also condemned the incidents of poll-related violence in Kalaigaon and other parts of the State during the second phase of election and alleged that BJP workers were behind the turmoil as they were gripped by the fear of losing the polls.
Pertinently, BPF candidate Rangja Khungur Basumatary, who was contesting the third phase of polls from Tamulpur constituency in Baksa district on April 6, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and 'appealed' to voters to support the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) candidate Leho Ram Bodo.
Though there were speculations that the BPF might back an independent candidate in the constituency, such reports were dismissed by BPF president Hagrama Mohilary who decided to go ahead with BPF candidate.