GUWAHATI: Seventeen years since it was created as a political solution to the Bodo agitation for a separate state, Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) on Tuesday got a new chief in former student leader Pramod Bodo.
He was sworn in as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the autonomous council at a programme held in Kokrajhar. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were among dignitaries in attendance.
Gobinda Basumatary of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) took oath as the Deputy CEM. Gautam Das and Diganta Baruah, both from the BJP, and Ghanashyam Das from the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) were also sworn in. BJP, UPPL and GSP forged a post-poll alliance to rule the BTC.
From 2003 to March this year, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) had ruled the BTC. The BPF had emerged as the single largest party in the recently-held BTC elections, winning 17 of the 40 seats, but failed to cobble up the numbers to form the council.