Congress targets 20 seats in BTC polls, BJP confident of better performance

GUWAHATI: The Congress party has promised to review the Bodo accord and increase the number of seats for non-Bodos in the Bodoland Territorial Council if voted to power in council’s election.
Congress termed the Bodo accord as a hurriedly done exercise. Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) or the Bodoland Territorial Administration Districts (BTAD) is the sixth schedule arrangement under the Constitution of India.

“The boundaries of BTC will be redrawn as there is a demand from people and there is Gauhati high court decision which requires having a fresh look on the boundaries,” Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Anjan Dutta said.

BTC arrangement of 2003 was done after the political accord with the erstwhile militant outfit Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), following which BLT cadres joined the political mainstream. Polls to the 40-member council will be held on April 8. There is five nominated member in the council.

According the accord, the jurisdiction of the BTC extends over 3,082 villages and the BTC has been given legislative powers over 40 subjects. However, there is demand from some section for bringing out some areas from the BTC, as they are largely inhabited by non-Bodos.

Bodos account for just 30% of the total population of Bodoland. Insurgency-infested Bodoland has a turbulent history, with as many as three violent clashes in the last three years which has claimed hundreds of lives and displacing hundreds of thousands.

Leaders of disbanded BLT went to form Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), which had ruled the council for two consecutive terms. However, last year it severed ties with Congress.

Dutta said, “Congress organization bases in the Bodoland have been weak, however, we had several Congressmen here. There has been no pachayat election in BTAD.

We will ensure that we will hold the same. We will increase the number of seats, keeping in mind the increase in population of different communities residing there.”

He added, “The NDA government in 2003 under AB Vajpayee has hastily done the accord and there is a need to review the same. Congress will win around 20 seats.” Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju on Thursday campaigned for his party in Bodoland, which is contesting 40 seats.

He said, “It is in the interest of people to have BJP here as we are ruling in the Centre. There will be proper implementation of the policies with one party in both places.”

There is also demand for increasing power of BTC, as presently home and relief and rehabilitation is under the purview of the state government.

Sambhu Singh, joint secretary, ministry of home affairs, who is in charge of the North-east, reviewed the security scenario in Kokrajhar. Singh said several crucial aspects of law and order and the security scenario of the entire BTAD were discussed. He said the law-and-order situation was by and large satisfactory.

Singh informed that the entire BTAD area was brought under a tight security cover; adequate security forces were being deployed. “Operation against the Songbijit faction of National Democratic Front of Boroland and other outfits active in the region had been intensified and would be continued”.