The Bodoland People’s Front, which emerged as the single largest party with 17 seats in the just concluded Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) polls, on Monday staked claim to form the new Council even as the stage is set for swearing-in of five members of the BJP-UPPL-GSP coalition on December 15.
BPF president Hagrama Mohilary in a letter to Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi requested that his party has emerged as the single largest party in the 40-member council and as such should be given the first opportunity to prove majority in the autonomous body.
He also requested the Governor to give them a period of seven days for following the necessary procedures to prove majority.
No comment yet
Raj Bhavan sources are yet to comment on the BPF’s claim.
Established in 2003, BTC is an autonomous self-governing body under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, a special provision that allows for greater political autonomy and decentralised governance in certain tribal areas of the Northeast.
BTC covers four districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri which fall under the Bodoland Territorial Region. BPF is an alliance partner of BJP in the State government, but has been dumped and BJP has joined hands with the United Peoples’ Party Liberal and the Gana Suraksha Party to constitute the council as a coalition.
The BJP-UPPL-GSP combine had staked its claim on Sunday with the Governor accepting their claim and directed that they be sworn in on December 15. A five member team, led by UPPL’s Promode Bodo, comprising two each from BJP and UPPL and one from GSP, is scheduled to be sworn in at Kokrajhar on Tuesday.
Mr. Mohilary had appealed to BJP to extend its support in forming the council as the results had led to a hung House.
