Guwahati, April 10: Over 70 per cent people cast their votes in elections to the Bodoland Terrirotial Council (BTC) in Assam on Friday, amidst sporadic incidents of clashes between supporters of different political parties and candidates, and allegations and counter allegations of rigging, booth capturing and intimidation.
Altogether 149 candidates were in the fray for 40 seats of the tribal council presently ruled by the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), the coalition partner of the ruling Congress in the State.
The BPF contested in all 40 seats, the Congress in 23, the Bodoland Pepole’s Progressive Front (BPPF) in 26, the newly-formed United Democratic People’s Front (UDPF) in 24, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) eight each, and the CPI (M) in six.
The BTC chief and BPF president Hagrma Mahilary alleged that the militant National Democratic Front of Boroland (Ceasefire) indulged in booth capturing in some areas. However, the militant outfit denied the charge and levelled a counter allegation that it was the BPF which resorted to massive rigging while putting the blame on the NDFB (Ceasefire).
The BPPF and AGP also accused the ruling BPF of rigging.
The tribal council was formed with the amended provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in 2003, following the signing of the second Bodo Accord by the erstwhile militant outfit the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) with the Centre and the State government, led by Mr. Mahilary.
The first elections to the BTC were held in 2005, and 39 of the total 40 seats were won by the erstwhile BPPF (Hagrama), later renamed as BPF, while one was won by the AGP.
The BPPF, which contested the 2005 polls as BPPF (Rabiram), failed to win a single seat.
—–Agencies