BTC Polls: Tough fight between BPF and UPPL

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The counting of votes for the high-voltage BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council) election is still under way.

The Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) are engaged in a tough battle to form the next Council. After the BPF and UPPL the BJP is taking the lead in the number of votes in some constituencies.

According to the final results, of the 40 seats, the BPF won 17; UPPL: 12; BJP: 9; GSP and Congress: one each.

The counting of votes began at 8 am on Saturday in 10 counting centres across Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri districts which come under the jurisdiction of the BTC. There a total of 40 seats in BTC and the seats required to form the Council is 21.

The fight for control of the majority of seats in the BTC is primarily between three parties—BPF, UPPL and BJP.

The BPF under the leadership Hagrama Mohilary has won all the three elections to the BTC held so far since the Council's formation. In the 2015 BTC elections, the BPF won 20 seats while the Independent won 15 seats, 4 by AIUDF and 1 by BJP. There are 12 Assembly constituencies in the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) and the BPF won all the assemble seats in 2016 elections. The BPF joined the BJP and AGP in forming an alliance government in Dispur in 2016.

But the BJP had fought the BTC elections alone this time and launched an aggressive attack on the BPF particularly Hagrama Mohilary for the alleged misrule in the last 15 years. The BJP's aggressive campaign against Hagrama Mohilary and an anti-incumbency wave has made the position of the BPF (ruled the BTC for the last 15 years) shaky.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Chief of BTC, Kampa Borgoyary has been defeated in Chirang-Duar constituency by former NDFB leader and UPPL's Ranjit Basumatary (BR Ferenga).

Altogether 241 candidates contested in both the phases of elections to the 40 constituencies under the BTC. In the first phase, 130 candidates contested. The second and last phase of the BTC polls sealed the political fate of 111 candidates.

The BTC was constituted in 2003. An 'Interim Council' nominated by the State government ruled the Council for the initial two years till 2005. This year's election was the fourth one with the earlier three polls here held in 2005, 2010, and 2015.

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