Guwahati, 23 July (HS): In view of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, political parties have started campaigning to sharpen their strategy. The bugle of BTC elections can be blown anytime. In this time's BTC elections, BJP, Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), all three allies are preparing to contest the elections separately.

In this election, the ruling party BJP is trying to capture power in BTR without its ally UPPL. At the same time, Congress is trying to strengthen its organizational foundation through this election. The BPF party and the currently ruling UPPL party are also ready to contest the elections alone. The Nava Sharaniya-led political party Gana Suraksha Party, representing the non-Bodo tribe in Bodoland, is also busy preparing for the BTC elections with its strategies. This time, like the previous elections, some parties are again making the Bodo-Nonbodo issue as the main issue of the elections, while the ruling BJP and UPPL are making the issue of returning peace to Bodoland, providing stability to the residents and overall development of Bodoland as their issues.

Apart from this, other parties including BPF and Congress Party are promoting land lease, establishment and development as the main issues. The BJP-led UPPL, along with AGP, had formed the government in the state, however, this time in the BTC elections, these three allies will contest the elections alone. On the other hand, there is discussion from time to time about the friendship of BPF and Gana Suraksha Party, although it has not been finalized yet. Like these parties, AIUDF and the recently formed Alternative Party of Bodoland led by Anjali Daimary are also preparing to present party candidates in the BTC elections.

Meanwhile, the draft voter list has been published for the BTC elections. According to this, the number of voters in 40 constituencies of BTC is 26 lakh 69 thousand 396. Among these, the number of male voters is 13 lakh 29 thousand 742 and the number of female voters is 13 lakh 39 thousand 637. The number of other voters is 17. The voting process will be held at 3,277 polling stations in 40 constituencies of BTC. On the other hand, new 81 villages have been included in BTC and Khasra voter list has been published with the inclusion of these new villages. Any claim or objection related to this voter list has to be informed to the Election Office within August 5.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash