AGP should fight BTC polls to win, not target BJP: CM Sarma in Chirang
In Subhaijhar for a meeting, the Chief Minister said that BJP will announce its candidates by August 20
Chief Minister Sarma addressing a massive gathering in Chirang, BTR. (Photo:@himantabiswa/X)
Chirang, Aug 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to decide how many seats it will contest in the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, scheduled for September.
A decision in this regard will be taken by August 20, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday during the fourth day of the Vijay Sankalp Yatra in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
Speaking to the press at Subhaijhar in Chirang, Sarma exuded confidence that the BJP would improve its performance compared to the previous BTC polls.
“We will decide the number of seats the BJP will contest by August 20. This is not the time to discuss who will form the next BTC government,” he said.
The Chief Minister's remarks come even as all NDA allies have opted to contest independently. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has already announced plans to field candidates in 10 seats.
When asked whether the AGP’s decision to go solo could affect the BJP’s prospects, Sarma said the regional ally should focus on winning rather than targeting the BJP.
“If the AGP can win seats in the BTC, they should contest. But they should not fight just to defeat the BJP,” he added.
The BTC elections—widely seen as a political litmus test ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls—are expected to be notified in the third week of August.
Several parties, including NDA constituents and regional heavyweights like the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), are gearing up for a high-stakes contest.
Meanwhile, the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) has appealed to the BPF and NDA ally United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) to join forces and fight the elections together in the larger interest of the Bodo community.
Reacting to the proposal, Sarma said the BJP would welcome such a move. “If the BPF and UPPL come together, it would benefit the BJP too, as we would only need to talk to one party instead of two. But whether this alliance happens is something ABSU can better clarify,” he said.
Amidst these realignments, the BPF led by Hagrama Mohilary has released its first list of 22 candidates, signalling a solo run in the polls.
The candidate list was finalised at a Policy Making Body (PMB) meeting held at Barama in Baksa district on Monday evening, which was attended by top party leaders, including Mohilary himself.
With alliances yet to crystallise and parties charting their own courses, the BTC elections are set to be a closely watched political event in state's electoral calendar.