India News | Will Play Constructive Opposition Role in Bodoland Territorial Council: BPF

Kokrajhar (Assam), Dec 19 (PTI) The Bodoland People's Front (BPF) on Saturday said it will play the role of a constructive opposition in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), though it had emerged as the single-largest party with 17 out of the 40 seats in the just-concluded local body polls.

The BPF, which was in power in the BTC for 15 years, will now "try its best to play the role of a constructive opposition for the greater interest of the people of this region", its general secretary Probin Boro told reporters.

He said the party will hold a central working committee (CWC) meeting at Boroma on Sunday to discuss its future course of action.

BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary has filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court, challenging the invitation to the UPPL- BJP-GSP combine to constitute the BTC.

Mohilary has opposed the invitation to the United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL) headed coalition with the BJP and the Gana Suraksha Party, contending that the BPF as the single-largest party should have been allowed to form the council first.

Boro said the BPF has challenged the formation of the BTC by the BJP-UPPL-GSP coalition.

Justice Suman Shyam on Friday directed the Department of Welfare of Plain Tribes to obtain an "instruction in the matter" and submit a report to the court.

The high court fixed the next date of hearing on December 22.

Boro termed the media reports about a meeting between the BPF chief and NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma at a hotel in Guwahati on Friday night as "false and fabricated".

Sarma also denied that any such meeting was held.

"There is no reason to meet as our paths for the 2021 assembly elections are different," he said.

The BJP had decided to ditch the BPF, its alliance partner in the state government and join hands with the UPPL and GSP to form the fourth BTC, with UPPL's Promod Bodo as Chief Executive Member (CEM).

A five-member team, led by Bodo and Deputy CEM Gobindo Chandra Basumatary was sworn in on December 15.

Five other newly-elected members took oath on Friday.

The UPPL had won 12 seats, while the BJP secured nine, but after the results were declared, the sole Congress member Sajal Kumar Sinha and BPF's Reura Narzary joined the BJP, taking its strength to 11. The GSP had won one seat.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)