BTC polls: BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary vows tough fight against BJP in Bijni

Bijni, July 14: With the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections scheduled for September, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) chief Hagrama Mohilary, on Monday, asserted that the party will mount a strong contest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the constituencies of Thuribari, Subhaijhar, and Manas Serfang in the Bijni region.

Mohilary made the statement following a meeting with office bearers from the three block committees under the Bijni district BPF office.

“I took feedback from the district committee, and it’s clear that in all three constituencies—Thuribari, Subhaijhar, and Manas Serfang—BPF holds a strong position. In these areas, the fight will be between the BJP and BPF. The UPPL has no presence here,” he said confidently.

On the question of political alliances, Mohilary said that discussions are ongoing with the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), but no formal agreement has been reached yet.

Responding to recent remarks by BTR Chief Executive Member and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) chief Pramod Boro—who had accused Mohilary of disrespecting party workers—the BPF chief hit back sharply.

“Our party is highly disciplined, unlike UPPL. Pramod Boro eats alone and doesn’t let others eat. He doesn’t recognise anyone. He’s just a former president of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU). Our party, on the other hand, respects all communities and ethnic groups,” he said. 

It is worth noting that in a significant shift this time, all three major constituents of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA)—the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and UPPL—have decided to contest the BTC elections independently.

The BJP has already announced candidates for all 40 BTC constituencies, while the AGP has confirmed it will contest 10 seats on its own.