GUWAHATI A controversial Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate is believed to have opened a window of opportunity for two regional rivals with the BJP connection in western Assam’s Kokrajhar, the only Lok Sabha constituency in the Northeast reserved for plains-dwelling tribes.
Kokrajhar is named after the headquarters of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), an autonomous area straddling five districts inhabited by the Bodo community. Members of the community have represented the constituency since the first Lok Sabha election in 1952 until Naba Kumar Sarania, a former extremist, broke the sequence in 2014.
Nomination rejected
Largely supported by the non-Bodo communities, including Muslims, Mr. Sarania retained the seat in 2019. His nomination this time was rejected after the Gauhati High Court found him ineligible to contest as his ST certificate was faulty. The non-Bodos comprise more than 65% of the population across the BTR.
The chances of United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) candidate Joyanta Basumatary and his Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) rival Kampa Borgoyari are said to have brightened with Mr. Sarania, the head of the Gana Suraksha Party, out of the way.
The UPPL heads a coalition government in the BTR and is one of the two regional allies of the BJP in the Assam government. The BPF is a former ally of the BJP, the two parties having ruled Assam together from 2016 2021.
MP sees conspiracy
“I became a victim of a conspiracy but our supporters will ensure our rivals cannot take advantage of my absence. We have a strong candidate in Binita Deka, who is from my village,” Mr. Sarania said.
Ms. Deka, a political novice, is among the 12 candidates seeking a Lok Sabha berth from Kokrajhar. The others include Garjan Mashahary of the Congress and Gauri Sankar Sarania of the Trinamool Congress.
Mr. Borgoyari, a former extremist and the ex-deputy chief of the council that governs BTR, said misrule and inequitable development under the UPPL had made the electorate gravitate toward the BPF. “We are enjoying the support of all the communities who have found out that ours was a much better government,” he said.
UPPL president Pramod Boro, who is the chief of the council now, countered the BPF claim. “They misguided the people during the 17 years they ruled BTR by threatening and intimidating people. We will win by more than three lakh votes because the people are happy with the development, peace and security we have ensured,” he said at a rally in the Kokrajhar district.
He also said 65 social organisations had pledged their support for the UPPL candidate, an MLA. “The supporters of the BJP and the Asom Gana Parishad are also working with us to ensure a thumping victory,” Mr. Boro said.
Voting for Kokrajhar will be held in the third phase on May 7 along with Barpeta, Dhubri, and Guwahati constituencies.
