GUWAHATI, Dec 9 - Despite the strained relation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the Ministers of the Bodoland People�s Front (BPF) in the BJP-led Ministry are yet to take any decision on resigning.
The leaders of the BJP and BPF strongly criticized each other during the campaigning for the BTC polls, which gave rise to speculations that the alliance would break up.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, senior BPF leader and Minister in charge of Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes and Tourism, Chandan Brahma said that they are yet to take any decision on resigning from the Ministry. The BPF has three members in the State Council of Ministers.
Brahma said that the BPF would take a call on its political future after the declaration of the results of the BTC on December 12. �We will hold a meeting to discuss the political situation after the declaration of the results of the elections to the BTC to decide the future course of action,� he added.
Brahma said that though the BJP and BPF decided to contest the BTC elections separately, it was a Minister of the BJP who first started criticizing the leaders of the BPF. �The BJP leaders first launched scathing criticism against us and we only responded. We did not start attacking the BJP first,� he said referring to the war of words between the leaders of both the parties.
The Minister said that the BJP came to power in the State because of the support of BPF and AGP.
�In 2016, the BJP led alliance came to power only because of our contributions. The BJP leaders cannot deny the fact that they would not have come to power without our support. We won 12 seats and helped the BJP to win in many other constituencies. We are not traitors and now some leaders of the BJP are behaving like traitors,� he alleged.
Brahma said that the BPF is confident of retaining power in the BTC despite efforts made by the BJP and UPPL. He said that BPF managed to bring peace in the area and the people saw the fruits of development including setting up of engineering and medical colleges, roads and bridges etc during the 17 year rule of the BPF in the Council.
He also said that the people of the State would judge the performance of the BPF Ministers in the Council of Ministers.
