GUWAHATI: Ahead of the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Assam to sound off the election bugle as also the crucial floor test on December 26, BJP has adopted the strategy of 'staying away' from Bodoland politics.
Interestingly, BJP’s chief strategist in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “I am done with the Bodoland elections… I am busy with the preparations of Amit Shah’s visit..... BTC elections is out of my mind now… it’s for the local parties to decide who will rule the council.”
Notably, Gauhati High Court has asked both BPF and the UPPL-combine, which includes BJP and GSP as partners, to prove their majority to rule the council.
BPF had emerged as the single largest party winning 17 of the 40 seats to which election was held this month. But United Peoples’ Party Liberal, which won 12, along with Bharatiya Janata Party (9) and Gana Surakha Party (1) came together to cobble up a majority. The lone Congress winner joined BJP later.
Accepting the coalition’s claim, Governor Jagdish Mukhi asked UPPL, BJP and GSP to form the new executive council. On December 15, president of UPPL, Pramod Boro, took oath as the new Chief Executive Member of BTC.
The Governor later nominated 6 other members to the council taking the total strength of BTC to 46.
The court also ordered that since rules mention about the presence of elected members in a meeting to prove majority, the voting rights of the 6 nominated members shall remain suspended till the floor test is held.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Assam is the first after the victory of the BJP and its allies in the recently concluded Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and Tiwa Autonomous Council elections. During his visit several key opposition leaders are set to join the saffron brigade.
The state leadership is in no mood to spoil the party in case the Promod Boro-led UPPL fails the floor test on December 26.
Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly are likely to be held in April or May next year.
