Amid high security, 75 pc vote in Bodoland council polls

Assam's Bodoland voted on Wednesday amidst heightened security to elect the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). The turnout was about 75 per cent with no major incident reported from anywhere barring small incidents of poll boycotting, theft of ballot papers and minor skirmishes between supporters of different political parties in the fray.

Polling started briskly at 7 a.m. but, as the day progressed, slowed down and finally picked up again before closing of polling at 4 p.m. Polling took place in the four Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD) of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri.

Polling was held amidst tight security arrangements following pre-poll violence with more than 12,000 security personnel pressed into service to ensure a free and fair election to the 40 seats of the 46-member BTC. Six members would be nominated by the Assam Governor later. The international borders along BTAD between India and Bhutan was sealed.

Voters boycotted the polls in several places as a protest against the lack of development in the area as well as lack of security of life and property. BTAD has seen several incidents of ethnic violence and targetted killing by insurgent groups in the past three years. Hundreds have been killed and lakhs remain displaced.

The Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF) has been in power for two consecutive terms since the first BTC polls in 2005. “This time also BPF will form government in BTC. We will complete a hat trick,” two times BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary told Deccan Herald .

The voters of Bodoland have cast their franchise to decide the fate of over 315 candidates who are in the fray. Apart from BPF, Congress and BJP fielded candidates in all the 40 seats that went to polls on Wednesday.