NDA constituent to head BTC, campaign cancellation 'big setback' for BJP: Himanta

Guwahati, Sept 25 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the NDA will form the next council in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) despite the BJP facing a "big setback" after it had to cancel its campaign three days before the September 22 polls due to the death of singer Zubeen Garg.

The BJP, which contested the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) polls independently for the first time, had to cancel its campaign three days before the polls due to Garg's death, the CM said on the sidelines of a programme here.

"The cancellation of the campaign three days before the polls was a big setback. This may adversely impact our performance, but I am not worried as an NDA partner will form the council," Sarma claimed.

The United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), led by current BTC Chief Pramod Boro, and Bodo People's Front (BPF), led by former chief Hagrama Mohilary, are both members of the NDA.

The counting of votes for the council polls will be held on September 26.

''The BJP's result may not be as expected by us, but it will definitely be better than last time," he said.

The Congress will not get any seat and ''all the 40 seats in the council will be won by the UPPL, BPF and BJP-all NDA constituents," the CM said.

''The council will, however, not be formed by all three, but by two NDA constituents, and this will be decided after the results are announced," he said.

The BTC poll results are ''politically very significant for the BJP, but we sacrificed it due to the unfortunate death of Garg and the consequent preparations to bid him farewell. This was a real setback for us in the BTC polls," Sarma said.

Over 78 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the council polls, of which 30 seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, five for non-STs and the remaining five are open to both ST and non-ST candidates.

Alliance partners UPPL, BJP and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) headed the outgoing council.

In the last council polls held in December 2020, the UPPL had won 12 seats, BJP (9) and GSP (1), while the BPF, which had headed the council for the previous three terms, emerged as the single largest party with 17 seats, and the 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.

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