BPF, UPPL both claim edge ahead of Assembly elections
The UPPL was in alliance with the BJP in the last five years, but now the BPF is in an alliance with the saffron party.
A file image of BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary at a public meeting in Kokrajhar. (AT Photo)
GUWAHATI, April 3: Elections in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area are becoming interesting with both the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) claiming victory. The UPPL was in alliance with the BJP in the last five years, but now the BPF is in an alliance with the saffron party.
Vice President of the BPF, Prabin Boro, told The Assam Tribune that there are 15 seats in the BTC area and the BPF is contesting 11, while the BJP is contesting in four seats. He pointed out that in the last BTC elections, the BPF won 28 of the 40 seats, which signifies that the people are with the BPF.
Distributing land patta to the deserving people is one of the key election issues for the BPF. The BPF is also promising financial grants to senior citizens, the new generation to start entrepreneurship and to women’s self-help groups. The BPF-led BTC has already started constructing a mini secretariat of the BTC in Udalguri, while an amount of Rs 30 crore has been sanctioned for setting up a Zubin Garg Park. A Srimanta Sankardev Bhawan is also being constructed.
Apart from organising big rallies, the BPF is also holding booth-level meetings, while BTC chief Hagrama Mahilary is campaigning in all the 15 constituencies under the BTC area.
On the other hand, senior UPPL leader and a Minister in the last Ministry, UG Brahma, said that peace and stability, better relations among all sections of people of the BTC area, and land patta to deserving people are some of the key issues for the UPPL.
Brahma said that though the UPPL lost the last BTC polls, the vote share of the party had increased. He also expressed the view that one section of people did not vote for the UPPL because the party was in alliance with the BJP. The BPF will face the same problem this time, he added.
Replying to a question whether the UPPL will join hands with the NDA after the polls, Brahma said,” The BJP left us and joined hands with the BPF. As of now, there is no discussion of post-poll alliance with the BJP.”