HT Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR/GOSSAIGAON, Sept 1: With the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections drawing near, major political parties have stepped up their preparations by declaring candidates for the 40-member council.
According to official statements, the ruling United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), its main rival Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), and ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have each released lists of nominees, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest in the Bodoland region.
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The polls are scheduled for September 22.
The UPPL, which heads the coalition council with the BJP and Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), released its final list of six candidates late on Sunday night.
Party president and incumbent Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pramod Boro will contest from two constituencies — Dotoma and Goibari — while former Deputy CEM Kampa Borgoyari has been fielded from Debargaon and Chirang Duar.
The BPF, which held power in the BTC from its formation in 2005 until its ouster in the 2020 polls, also announced its full slate of candidates on Sunday.
Former CEM and party supremo Hagrama Mohilary will contest from Chirang Duar and Debargaon, setting up a direct clash with his former deputy Borgoyari, who is now with the UPPL.
Other prominent BPF nominees include Azamul Hoque from Fakiragram, Maneswar Brahma from Baganpara, and Jagadish Sarkar from Mwdwibari.
Meanwhile, the BJP, which had earlier announced 28 candidates, declared its nominees for four constituencies in Kokrajhar district, sparking enthusiasm among its grassroots workers.
BTC MCLA Sajal Singh has been fielded from 2 No. Guma, Rahul Narzary from 4 No Jamduar, Maheswar Basumatary from 6 No Kachugaon, and Gosai Basumatary from 5 No Saraibil.
Each of these announcements triggered local celebrations, including felicitation programmes, processions, and traditional ceremonies.
Supporters welcomed the candidates with phulam gamosa and aronai, while some also offered prayers at local temples.
Addressing supporters in Kachugaon, Maheswar Basumatary asserted that unlike previous representatives, the BJP is committed to delivering real development in the constituency.
All four BJP candidates are scheduled to file their nomination papers tomorrow, party insiders confirmed.
The Congress has already named its candidates for all 40 seats, while the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has so far announced four candidates.
Though the UPPL and AGP are partners of the BJP in the state government, all three parties are contesting the BTC polls separately.
In the last BTC elections in 2020, the BPF had emerged as the single-largest party with 17 seats, while the UPPL won 12, the BJP nine, and the GSP one.
The Congress’ lone winning member later joined the BJP, paving the way for the UPPL-BJP-GSP coalition to form the council.
As per the election schedule, the last date for filing nominations is September 2, with scrutiny on September 4 and withdrawals allowed till September 6.
Polling will take place across 3,359 stations in the 40 constituencies spread over Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Tamulpur and Udalguri districts.
The total electorate stands at 26,57,937, including 13,34,521 women and 17 belonging to the third gender.
Repolling, if necessary, will be held on September 24, and counting of votes will take place on September 26. (With inputs from PTI)
