The BJP on Saturday announced its decision to field candidates in all 40 seats of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) where the election is slated for April 4.
The announcement comes a few days after the party decided to “go solo” in the polls during its meeting at Goreswar in Baksa district.
The BJP’s decision to go it alone in the council polls, however, sparked speculation about the continuance of its alliance with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) at the state level in next year’s Assembly polls. BPF president and BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary had said the BJP, AGP and the BPF would contest the elections in alliance.
Though many believed that it might point at a growing distance between the two allies, for BJP leaders, the decision was made only to take a “test” of its strength in the council areas.
Minister of irrigation (independent charge) Bhabesh Kalita on Saturday said, “The BJP has alliance with the BPF in Delhi and Dispur. The party has decided to test its political grip over the BTC areas in this poll. Our workers in the council area also want the party to fight alone.”
The minister added that over 400 party workers and leaders expressed their wish to contest the polls. “The party leadership has begun assessment and the list of the candidates is likely to be declared on Monday. The move will boost our party workers to work hard,” Kalita said.
He claimed that the BJP may win 30 seats and take charge of the council. The BPF has already announced its candidates for 18 of the 40 seats.
Earlier this week, the BJP gave one of the three Rajya Sabha seats in Assam to the BPF as per its understanding in 2016 when it forged a pre-poll alliance with the regional party for the Assembly polls. The BJP formed its first government in Assam in 2016 with a pre-poll alliance with the AGP and the BPF.
BJP sources said by contesting the BTC polls alone, the party is aiming to put a dent in the votes from the non-Bodo voters who could possibly vote in favour of the Naba Sarania-fronted Gana Suraksha Mancha (GSM). The new party has projected Sarania as the chief executive member candidate.
Sarania, who is the two time MP from the Kokrajhar constituency, said, “The BJP is aiming to divide the non-Bodo voters in the constituencies where the GSM candidates’ potential of winning is quite high. But they must understand that the non-Bodo voters neither trust the BJP nor the BPF and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).”
The UPPL, recently taken over by former Bodo student leader Pramod Boro, is trying to give a tough fight in the polls banking on a strong anti-incumbency wave.
“A crowded field may also see the BPF scrape through or minimise its losses but it is bound to end the BPF’s free run,” a BJP source said.
Mohilary claimed the BJP-BPF-AGP alliance would remain intact. Dhekiajuli BJP legislator Ashok Singhal, attending a party meet at Tangla in Udalguri district on Saturday, said the BJP would form the next council.
