Final phase of Bodoland Territorial Council polls underway

The second and final phase of polling for the 40-member Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) is underway on Thursday with election officials and a section of voters adhering to Covid-19 protocols.

Till 11.30 am, 29.44 per cent votes were cast out of a total of 10,23,404 electors, who will seal the fate of 111 candidates for 19 constituencies spread across Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.

An official of the Assam State Election Commission (ASEC) said voting in paper ballot started from 7.30 am and will continue till 4.30 pm across 1,407 polling stations.

Safety protocols like wearing masks, maintaining social distancing inside the polling booths, and frequent sanitisation are being followed, though many voters were seen flouting the norms by not sporting face covers and huddling in groups.

The first phase of polling for the BTC took place on December 7 with over 77.01 per cent of voters exercising their franchise in 21 seats spread across Udalguri and Baksa districts.

Of the total 3,164 polling booths in the four districts, the authorities have marked 606 as very sensitive and 1,266 as sensitive and put in place tight security measures, the ASEC official said.

The counting for both phases will be held on December 12.

A total of 23,87,422 voters in the two phases of polling will elect their representatives for the local council, formed in 2003 and elections being held since 2005.

The BTC election was scheduled on April 4, but it was postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Subsequently, the Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi assumed administration of the council on expiry of its five-year term on April 27, 2020.

Hagrama Mohilary-led Bodoland People's Front (BPF) is trying hard to save its 15-year old BTC government, while state ally BJP is vying to dethrone its partner from the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

After casting vote on Thursday, Mohilary said his party will form the government for the fourth term by winning 30 out of the 40 seats.

"I am confident that the BPF will have the majority. The BJP and its leader Himanta Biswa Sarma tried to destroy the Bodo community and destabilise the region by inciting violence, but failed," he alleged.

The saffron party is running its first state government in Assam in alliance with the BPF and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

The BJP and the BPF are contesting in the local council election and were engaged in a bitter campaign.

Talking about the differences between the BJP and Sarma, Mohilary said, "The rift has appeared between me and Sarma, and it will stay."

United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) is another strong outfit, with its supremo Pramod Boro, who joined the party from the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), touted to be a strong contender for the post of Chief Executive Member, the head of BTC.

"The UPPL will get at least 27 seats and will form the BTC government," Boro said, amid the second phase of polling.

Stones were hurled on Wednesday evening at Boro's convoy when it was passing through Nayakgaon area in Baokhungri BTC constituency of Kokrajhar.

Other parties like the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), Congress-AIUDF alliance, and scores of independent candidates are also in the fray.