GUWAHATI, March 10 - The All Bodo Students� Union (ABSU) will extend support to the United People�s Party (UPP) in the Assembly constituencies under the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) area, while the organisation will make its stand clear regarding the constituencies in the other parts of the state shortly.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, ABSU president Promod Boro said that the students� body has decided to support the UPP, headed by former Member of Parliament UG Brahma to bring an end to the misrule of the Bodoland People�s Front (BPF). He said that over the years, large-scale corruption under the BPF rule became the order of the day in the BTAD, while the legislators of the party also failed to raise the issues concerning the Bodo people forcefully on the floor of the Assembly. He said that in order to give a strong challenge to the BPF, the ABSU would extend support to the UPP.
Boro said that the ABSU would also extend support to the parties, which supports the issues raised by the organisation, in the other parts of the State. He pointed out that in the last two years, the Government of India, despite repeated requests, failed even to organise a tripartite meeting on the political issues of the Bodo people. He said that the progress of talks with two factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) has also slowed down considerably. He said that the ABSU would closely examine the views of the parties on such issues before taking the decision on supporting any party.
The ABSU president admitted that in recent times, the State government took some active steps on the issues that can be dealt with within the State, which include granting of associate State language status to Bodo language, decision to create a separate directorate for Bodo medium instruction, etc. However, he said that the ABSU would wait for the declaration of the candidates by all the parties and examine the issues raised by them before deciding to extend support to any party.
It may be mentioned here that the UPP has already come into an electoral agreement with the Congress. As per the agreement, the Congress would extend support to the UPP in four constituencies. Though the UPP is contesting in 12 constituencies, there would be �friendly contests� between the Congress and UPP in the other eight.
