Assam
The Bharatiya Janata Party is seen in a state of uproar in the Bodoland sixth schedule area of Assam. The reason for this dilemma is the possible council election to be held in September. The party has already announced for these elections that it will contest the upcoming elections alone. The problem with the BJP is that it is currently in an alliance in the council with the Regional Party United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and at this time UPPL is in the lead in the council. Apart from this, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) sitting in opposition in the council is an ally of the NDA government in the Assam Legislative Assembly. Now the equation of power has changed so much that the UPPL and BPF are negotiating to form an alliance after the BJP announced to contest the elections alone.
Significantly, assembly elections are due in Assam next year. This election is the last to be held in 40 seats in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) before those elections. In such a situation, all parties would like to maintain their dominance in it. Even though the council elections have not been officially announced yet, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been holding meetings in Bodoland continuously for the last few weeks. Talking to the media, Sarma said that he is searching the pulse of the people of this region. Establishing peace in BTR is the biggest success of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s NDA government. He said, “Ever since the BJP government was formed in Delhi and Dispur, not a single person has died of bullets.”
It is worth noting that earlier in the council elections held in 2020, no party had got a clear majority. BPF then emerged as the largest party with 17 seats. But the BJP and UPPL formed a government in the council by forming an alliance with the Gana Suraksha Party. A member of the Congress also came here after winning but later he left the party and joined the BJP.
