Voting for first phase of Bodoland Territorial Council election begins

Over 13.59 lakh voters will decide fate of 130 candidates in 21 constituencies in phase one. Counting of votes will take place on December 12.

Updated on: Dec 7, 2020, 08:50:46 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Polling for the first phase of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election began on Monday morning with heavy security measures and Covid-19 protocols in place.

The BTC polls are being seen as a crucial contest before the state Assembly polls in Assam due in March-April next year. (PTI file photo)

Over 13.59 lakh voters will decide the fate of 130 candidates in 21 constituencies in Udalguri and Baksa districts in the first phase. Voting for the other 19 constituencies in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts will take place on Thursday.

Polling started at 7:30 am and will continue till 4:30 pm in 1739 polling stations. As per initial reports, voting is underway smoothly.

“There are 10 constituencies in our district. All security arrangements are in place and polling parties have been given face masks, sanitisers for themselves and also to give to those voters who come without masks. Social distancing will also be maintained during voting,” Prakash Ranjan Gharphalia, deputy commissioner of Udalguri said.

This is the first election being held in Assam amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic. The polls were scheduled to be held in April but had to be postponed because of the pandemic and all the four districts under BTC were placed under the Governor’s rule.

The BTC polls are being seen as a crucial contest before the state Assembly polls in Assam due in March-April next year.

Since its formation in 2003, the BTC had been governed by Hagrama Mohilary, a former rebel who now heads the Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF), a partner in the ruling coalition headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) as the third partner.

But relations between BJP and BPF started souring after the BTC was placed under the Governor’s rule. Both parties are now contesting the BTC polls separately. The BPF has fielded candidates in 37 seats while the BJP is contesting 26 and supporting Independent candidates in the other seats.

Apart from the BJP and BPF, opposition Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which have a tie-up for the assembly polls, are contesting 20 seats.

The other prime contenders are United Peoples’ Party Liberal (UPPL), which is contesting all 40 seats, and Gana Surakha Party (GSP) of Kokrajhar MP Nava Sarania, which is fighting in 35 seats.

Counting of votes will take place on December 12.

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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