No decision yet on poll pact with any party
R Dutta Choudhury
GUWAHATI, Feb 6: The Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) has decided to support anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forces in the ensuing State Assembly elections. However, the party has not yet decided whether it would come into a formal alliance with any party.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, BPF general Secretary Prabin Boro said the party had several rounds of informal talks with anti-BJP parties like Congress, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Left parties, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Raijor Dal on possible political understanding for the elections. However, he said the party is yet to take a decision on coming into an alliance with any party.
Boro said the BPF would extend support to anti-BJP parties in different constituencies of the State depending on the winning prospects of the parties. He said the BPF hopes that in return, the other parties would extend their support to the BPF.
Boro said defeating the BJP would be one of the major goals of the BPF. “The BJP badly betrayed the BPF. Despite having an alliance with the BPF in the State level, the BJP came into an alliance with the United People’s Party Progressive (UPPL) to form the Bodoland Territorial Council and indulged in poaching of members of the BPF. Under the circumstances, the BPF has decided to extend support to anti-BJP parties in the coming polls,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that though the relation between the BPF and BJP deteriorated after the BTC polls, the three BPF members in the State Council of Ministers have not yet resigned.
The BPF general secretary said the AJP and Raijor Dal have serious reservations against the Congress and AIUDF. But the BPF has no such reservation and is ready to extend support to all the anti-BJP parties.
In the last Assembly polls, the BPF won 12 seats and for the coming polls also, the BPF would field candidates in at least 12 constituencies. Boro said the BPF has strong presence in 26 other constituencies and the party would either field candidates or support non-BJP parties in those constituencies.
On poll issues of the BPF, Boro said unity among all sections of the people would be one of the major goals, while development would be another issue. He said the BPF is opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 as it would seriously affect the interests of the indigenous people of the State.
The BPF had also taken part in the anti-CAA movements in the past and it would be another major issue for the party.
