GUWAHATI: Bodoland Peoples' Front chief Hagrama Mohilary has filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court, challenging the invitation to the UPPL-BJP-GSP combine to constitute the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
Justice Suman Shyam on Friday directed the Department of Welfare of Plain Tribes to obtain an "instruction in the matter" and submit a report to the court."
The high court fixed the next date of hearing on December 22.
Mohilary, whose party had emerged as the single largest with 17 out of the 40 seats in the just-concluded BTC polls, filed the petition, opposing the invitation to the United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL) headed coalition with the BJP and Gana Suraksha Party, contending that BPF as the single-largest party should have been allowed to form the council first.
The BPF had also written to Governor Jagadish Mukhi in this regard, but there was no response from the Raj Bhavan.
The BJP had decided to ditch the BPF, its alliance partner in the state government and join hands with the UPPL and GSP to form the fourth BTC, with UPPL's Promod Bodo as Chief Executive Member (CEM).
A five-member team, led by Bodo and Deputy CEM Gobindo Chandra Basumatary, were sworn in on December 15.
Five other newly-elected members took oath on Friday.
The UPPL had won 12 seats, while the BJP secured nine, but after the results were declared, the sole Congress member Sajal Kumar Sinha and BPF's Reura Narzary joined the BJP, taking its strength to 11.
The GSP had won one seat.