GUWAHATI: Facing perhaps the toughest Assam elections early next year, the ruling BJP has revived its alliance with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
The BPF had ousted the BJP-United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) combine from power in the Bodoland Territorial Region last month by bagging 28 seats in the elections to the 40-member autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
Less than a month after the landslide victory, the BPF formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Saturday following a call from the BJP. Charan Boro, a BPF legislator, was sworn in as a minister. The BPF will return the favour by appointing two from the BJP as executive members in the BTC and another as deputy speaker.
The Assam ministry has the UPPL’s UG Brahma, who was inducted in 2021 after the formation of the government. The BPF and UPPL are considered bitter rivals.
Recently, former rebel leader-turned-BPF president and BTC chief executive member Hagrama Mohilary stated that his party would join the NDA only after the UPPL’s removal from the NDA.
The UPPL’s fate vis-à-vis the alliance with the BJP now hangs in the balance. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the BJP’s alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad and UPPL, which was for five years till the upcoming Assembly elections, would be reviewed by November-December.
Sarma termed the BPF’s decision to join the NDA and Charan Boro’s inclusion in the ministry as a milestone toward peace, progress and coordination in Bodoland.
“We are grateful to Hagrama Mohilary for consenting to Charan Boro’s inclusion in the ministry. Our effort will be to work for peace and progress. We will support the BPF-government for the development of Bodoland,” the chief minister said.
He also said that he maintained an old relationship with Mohilary but because of some reason, there was a gap in 2021. “However, we came together after a few months,” Sarma further said.
The BJP had ditched ally BPF after the 2020 BTC elections and formed the government in the council along with newfound friend UPPL. The BPF had won 17 seats but could not cobble up the numbers.
A candid Mohilary said it was for the sake of Bodoland’s development that the BPF decided to join hands with the state government. “We have various problems and we thought we can solve them by partnering with the NDA,” he said.
For the autonomous councils, maintaining a good relationship with the party in power in the state or at the Centre is of utmost importance. The councils get their funds from the government. Close ties may fetch additional government support.
There is a perception that the BJP has a mountain to climb to be able to retain power in the state. Its biggest challenge will be to assuage six communities fighting for Scheduled Tribe status and ensure justice for music icon Zubeen Garg who died mysteriously while swimming at sea in Singapore on September 19.
