GUWAHATI, April 10 - The Opposition Congress party on Friday urged Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi to take over the administration of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) after expiry of the present council's term on April 26.
In a letter to Prof Mukhi, State Congress president Ripun Bora stated that the five-year term of the present BTC is going to expire on April 26 even as the Assam State Election Commission has been forced to postpone elections to the council, which were slated for April 4, on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bora said that considering the current situation there is no possibility of the elections being held before April 26.
�In this connection, the Assam government may advise you to extend the term of the council for another six months under the proviso to Para 2(6) of Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. But the legal experts opine that the power to extend the term of council can be used as a stage before declaration of election. Once election is declared this power cannot be exercised. With declaration of election, the present council automatically become a �caretaker council� and therefore by exercising the power provided by proviso to Para 2(6) of Sixth Schedule the term of the council cannot be extended,� stated Bora, calling upon the Governor to take over administration of the BTC post-April 26.
