Unity chorus for regional political parties in BTC gets louder at grassroots level as BJP plans solo bid for 2025 BTC election

KOKRAJHAR: Many party workers at the grassroots level have expressed concern over the BJP's plan to seize political power from the 6th schedule BTC administration, as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has come clean about the party's decision to fight the BTC election in 2025 without forming an alliance with the UPPL or the BPF. They have also questioned the legitimacy of creating autonomous councils for ethnic communities in Assam, given that the BJP plans to seize control of all council administrations in succession and govern using the nationalise policy. The BJP has captured all the 6th schedule councils of Assam except BTC and thus the saffron party has set its eyes to overcome the BTC administration in 2025.

Most of the workers of UPPL and BPF have fear apprehension that the 6th schedule status of BTC will come to an end if the BJP overtakes its administration as it will govern the council with nationalize policy and will bring their affiliated officers and contractors from outside states as they have been doing as a coalition partner in Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao and in BTC too. As Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in Assam did not interfere in the affairs of BTC and other 6th schedule councils and allowed the local parties to run themselves, the workers of both the parties want that there should not be interference in the council elections from the national parties as most of the councils have been created to give space to movement groups. The BTR accord was also signed with the Bodo movement groups-ABSU, NDFB and UBPO and thus they should be given political space to govern themselves.

Open appeals are coming in the social media in a continuous manner urging the regional political parties to be united to save from BJP’s power capturing plan since the Chief Minister recently announced to fight it alone in BTC elections due next year. The president of the All-Assam Tribal Students’ Union (AATSU) Hareswar Brahma appealed the UPPL and BPF presidents-Pramod Boro and Hagrama Mohilary to come under a shed and fight the elections unitedly. He said the BJP has set all eyes on BTC and has started ground preparations to capture the power of 6th schedule BTC administration. He also said the 6th schedule status will not last long if the BJP overtakes the BTC administration. Brahma said the ruling BJP in Assam had de-reserved two tribal belts and blocks in Dhemaji districts and tribal lands are being grabbed by non-tribal people in Assam and BTC and there is no hope of protection of tribal belts and blocks if the BJP comes to power in BTC.

Kastom Basumatary, a youth wing leader of the BPF says that the time has come to be united among the UPPL and the BPF for the greater interest of the people of BTC to foil the attempt of BJP to capture BTC administration. He also said both the UPPL and the BPF should adopt a seat sharing formula to save the BTC from being captured. He further said no regional parties will survive with the BJP’s nationalized policy and the council will no longer remain a 6th schedule administration. BTC was an outcome of the sacrifices of over 6000 Bodo people and thus they should be given the opportunity to rule the council.

On the other hand, the president of ABSU Dipen Boro while talking to local media persons expressed concern over the BJP’s planning to take over the power of BTC. He said the BTC/BTR was created to give a political space to different movement groups of the Bodos but the interference of the national political party like the BJP will be an unfortunate idea. He said there had been many clauses of the BTR accord which are still pending for implementation. He also said, “Instead of implementing all the clauses of BTR accord in a time bound manner, the BJP is dreaming to capture power in BTC which is unfortunate for the stakeholders of the BTR accord.”

Meanwhile, the general secretary of UPPL Raju Kr. Narzary said the alliance between the BJP, UPPL and AGP was on the right track and it will be continuing till 2026 assembly elections. “We have seen the BJP’s pronouncement to fight the BTC elections all alone in the social media but officially we have not received any formal letter,” he said adding that the BJP fought alone in the 2020 BTC elections too and there is still time to decide over the issue.

MLA Lawrence Islary also said ABSU being a nationalist democratic organization shoulder moral responsibility to save the society from any misadventure. He said when they were the leaders of ABSU, similar attempt for unification of regional political parties was initiated and they attended meetings for unification in Goa and New Delhi. He also said they had nothing to oppose if the move yield positive result.

There has been apprehension that the Himanta Biswa Sarma led state government is likely to give Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary a cabinet ministerial berth so that he can move and work and campaign for BJP in Bodo belts freely. People have asserted that the BJP could project Daimary as the next CEM of BTC if they come out with a majority in the next BTC elections.

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