BTC power play

Uproar during Thursday's floor test in the newly elected Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is an indicator that the fractured mandate and defection of elected members is going to keep the power tussle on in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). The tussle will only intensify closer to the 2021 Assembly polls which are barely three months away. The United People's Party, Liberal (UPPL) chief Pramod Boro, who was sworn in as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the newly elected Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), proved his majority on the floor of the House by a voice-vote amidst noisy protest by the opposition Bodoland People's Front (BPF). The BPF insisted on holding the trust vote though secret ballot but the Protem Speaker declared ruling coalition of UPPL, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Gana Surakha Party (GSP) of having the majority and winning the trust vote after the members of the three parties raised hands in support of Pramod Boro. The Gauhati High Court ordered for a composite floor test by December 26 which necessitated the trust vote during the maiden session of the newly elected autonomous council. The court order was on a petition filed by former BTC CEM and BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary who ruled the council for 17 years including 15 years of three consecutive elected terms. The BPF has said it would move the court again alleging that due process was not followed. The legal questions will only be settled by the High Court. The court entanglement could have been avoided if the Governor had followed the parliamentary convention of inviting the single largest party to from the new BTC government and prove majority on the floor of the House. In the event BPF falling short of the required number, the UPPL-led coalition could have been invited to stake claim for formation of the new council government. The anti-defection law is not applicable to the councils under the Sixth Schedule due to which floor crossing by any member does not result in disqualification. This made the UPPL, BJP GSP make the hurried move of staking the claim and keep most of their members flocked in luxury hotels in Guwahati and Shillong till the trust vote day for fear of defection to BPF camp. The BPF played the Bodo nationalism card and offered to back an UPPL and GSP to keep BJP out of power from the BTC. The Bodo Sahitya Sabha-the apex Bodo literary body also urged both the BPF and UPPL to unitedly rule the council to keep the national party out from the council government. BPF by issuing the appeal for Bodo political parties joining hands in BTC governance has also shown its card for the assembly polls. The oldest Bodo political party will play the Bodo nationalism card to wean away the Bodo voters from the influence of UPPL and the BJP. The UPPL will be dependent on the BJP to retain power and therefore will have less freedom on policy decisions even after holding the posts of CEM and Deputy CEM. Ironically, the BPF continues to be a partner in the BJP-led coalition government in Assam. The BJP has given several clear indications of dumping BPF in 2021 Assembly polls and picking UPPL as its new ally. Top BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned UPPL as an ally of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) while greeting the Bodo party after the BTC results. BTR areas account for 12 Assembly seats fully and two more Assembly seats partially. BPF has won all the 12 seats in past three Assembly polls in 2006, 2011 and 2016 during which its shared power with both the BJP and the Congress at Dispur but ruled BTC alone. The Bodo Sahitya Sabha throwing its weight behind the BPF's appeal for unity among Bodo political parties will prompt the BJP to be cautious of its strategy for BTR seats. However, Bodo political forces have always remained divided and similar such attempt for unification did not succeed. With statehood demand becoming a past in BTR, the Bodo nationalism may not sway the common Bodo voters as BTR accord has fuelled new aspirations of development. The newly elected BTC has less time to plan and implement the development work in BTR areas. The Model Code of Conduct for Assembly polls will further limit the time for pushing the new development projects. Therefore, sustaining the aspirational hopes among BTR voters will be a challenging task for both UPPL and the BJP. As the largest party in BTR, the BPF will get an advantage of making performance of the UPPL-BJP-GSP coalition-ruled BTC a major poll plank if it goes alone or forge alliance with the new regional parties- Assam Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal. Battle cries in BTR will be louder in 2021 Assembly polls.