BTC polls: BPF leading in 19, BJP in 11

Guwahati, Sep 26 (PTI) The Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF) has leading in 19 of the 40 seats of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), followed by the BJP in 11 and United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL) in 10 seats on Friday, as counting of votes was on, officials said.

Elections to the 40-member BTC, comprising the five districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri and Tamulpur, was held on September 22 peacefully with no repolls ordered.

Counting of votes began at 8 am but it has been slow as votes have been cast in ballot papers, with results likely to come in late, an official said.

In the 12 constituencies of Kokrajhar district, the BPF was leading in five and the UPPL in four while in Udalguri the BPF was ahead in seven seats, UPPL in two and BJP in one.

In Baksa, the BPF was leading in three, BJP in two and UPPL in one.

The BPF was ahead in three seats, while both the BJP and UPPL were ahead in two seats each in Chirang district.

In Tamulpur district, the BJP was ahead in three, while BPF and UPPL were leading in one each.

Counting is being held at eight centres of five districts and three co-district headquarters, officials said.

Among the 40 seats, 30 are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, five for non-STs and the remaining five are open to both ST and non-ST candidates.

The alliance partners United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL), BJP and Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) have headed the outgoing council.

In the last Council polls held in December 2020, the UPPL had won 12 seats, BJP nine and GSP one seat, while the Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF), which had headed the Council for the previous three terms, emerged as the single largest party with 17 seats and Congress secured one seat with its elected member later joining the BJP.

The BPF was then BJP's alliance partner in the state government, but the ruling party decided to join hands with the UPPL and the GSP to jointly form the Council.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Thursday that the NDA will form the next council in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) though cancelling the campaign three days before elections due to the death of singer Zubeen Garg was a ''big setback for the party''.

The BJP, which contested the BTC polls independently for the first time, campaigned extensively and was showing promise but it had to be cancelled three days before the polls due to the death of singer Zubeen Garg.

''The last three days of the campaign were a big setback and this may adversely impact our performance but I am not worried as an NDA partner will form the council," Sarma said.

This is the second council poll after a fresh Bodo Accord was signed in New Delhi on January 27, 2020. PTI DG DG RG