Assam: Bodoland Territorial Council elections to be held in two phases in December

Polling to the 40 constituencies in BTC, which governs the four districts of Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Baksa and Chirang, will be held on December 7 and December 10. Counting of votes will be held on December 12

Updated on: Nov 17, 2020, 17:04:51 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Elections to Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam, which were postponed in April this year due to Covid-19, will be held in December in two phases, an official announcement stated on Tuesday.

According to a notification by state election commissioner Alok Kumar, polling to the 40 constituencies in BTC, which governs the four districts of Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Baksa and Chirang, will be held on December 7 and December 10. Counting of votes for both the phases will be held on December 12.

In the first phase, polling would be held in constituencies falling in Udalguri and Baksa districts and in the second phase, voting would take place in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. Re-poll, if any, would happen on December 8 and December 11, for both the phases.

The notification mentioned that polling would be held by following the broad guidelines for conduct of elections during Covid-19 issued by the Election Commission of India.

Also read | In Assam, ruling BPF’s working president quits party; likely to join BJP

Elections to BTC, which was ruled by Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF), a partner in the BJP-led ruling coalition in the state, was scheduled in April this year, but the entire region was placed under Governor’s rule the same month as polls couldn’t be held due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Campaigning is underway in the four districts with large political rallies being held daily. Despite being coalition partners in the state government, Bharatiya Janata Party and BPF are contesting the elections independently.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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