The anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance in the ensuing state assembly elections is gathering momentum, with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) deciding to support it.
However, the BPF is yet to decide, whether to join hands with such an alliance or a any party opposed to the BJP. The BPF leadership has held electoral discussions with parties like Congress, All India United Democratic Front, Assam Jatiya Parishad, Raijor Dal, as well as the Left parties, all opposed to the BJP.
The BPF leadership felt betrayed by the BJP, when the party joined hands with the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) to form the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). The BPF is an alliance partner of the BJP in the government in Assam, yet the BJP joined hands with the other parties, to prevent BPF to gain control of the Bodoland Territorial Council. In the elections held in December 2020 for BTC, the BPF won 17 of the 40 seats and the BJP won nine, yet the latter decided to tie-up with UPPL, which had won only 12 seats.
The election to the council was held after a fresh Bodo Accord was signed in New Delhi on January 27 by the leaders of all four factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) – then All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) chief Pramod Boro, then BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary and chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.