GUWAHATI, Nov 19 - The BJP-BPF alliance seems to be heading towards a formal break-up and the saffron party is getting ready to field its candidates from all the 12 constituencies in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) in the 2021 Assembly elections. �We are mentally prepared to contest from all the 12 seats falling in the BTR in the next year�s Assembly elections. The forthcoming elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) are the semifinals and the Assembly elections will be the finals,� State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass told The Assam Tribune today.
Asked if that means that the BJP-BPF alliance at the state level may snap soon, Dass said a final decision in this regard will be taken by the saffron party�s central committee. He, however, added that the dominant view within the state BJP is against continuation of the tie-up with the BPF.
The BJP and the BPF are contesting the forthcoming BTC elections separately.
�We have fielded our candidates from 26 out of the total 40 seats for the BTC elections. Also, we have extended our support to an Independent candidate in one seat. We have already held one round of public meetings in the BTR. From the response that we have received so far, I am confident that we will secure seats in the double-digit. Former BPF working president Biswajit Daimary and BPF MLA Emmanuel Mosahary will join our party on November 22. Their induction will further boost our support base among the Bodo community electorate. Therefore, I am confident that BJP will either lead the next government in the BTC or at least be a partner in the next administration,� Dass said.
He alleged the BTC has witnessed large-scale corruption during the BPF�s long rule and added that benefits of Central schemes have not reached the intended beneficiaries as all projects are routed through the Village Council Development Committees (VCDC), leading to pilferage.
