Ahead of the Assam assembly election due in mid-2021, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partner Bodoland People Front (BPF) are likely to part ways.
Along with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), both the parties were collation partners in the Dispur since 2016.
Addressing a press meet in Guwahati on Thursday, Assam minister and NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma made it clear that they are not going to tie with Hangrama Mohilary-led BPF in the upcoming assembly election.
“Our partnership with BPF was only for five years and it won’t continue beyond that. We are contesting the BTC polls alone and will fight the assembly polls without an alliance with BPF,” said Sarma.
BPF and BJP, in collation with AGP, are contesting the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election, due in the next three weeks, independently.
Sarma along with Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam BJP chief Ranjit Dass has flown to New Delhi on Thursday evening.
It is informed that the Assam leadership will hold a meeting with BJP National President JP Nadda, and in the party’s central working committee to decide on the polling strategies in the upcoming election.
Reportedly, besides charting out the blueprint for the upcoming election, the leadership will also convey to the party’s national high command the need to break away from the BPF.
“With BPF parting ways as the alliance partner of the BJP, the meeting at New Delhi will also find ways to discuss the new alliance partner for the BJP in the BTR,” said a party source.
However, contrary to the party’s source, Sarma had earlier claimed that the national party will not seek any alliance partner in the Bodo dominated areas.
As per the BPF chief Hangrama Mohilary, the decision to stay with BJP or forge any new alliance partner, likely with Congress, will be decided after the BTC elections.
“We have heard about a meeting between JP Nadda and Assam BJP leaders, but have no clue what it is about. BPF will emerge stronger if the partnership breaks,” Mohilary told reporters on Thursday.
Assam BJP President Ranjit Dass also informed journalists that he is also not in favour of continuing a tie with the BPF. “Since we have gone independently in the BTC elections, reviewing and renewing an alliance with them ahead of assembly polls will send a negative message,” Dass told reporters earlier this month.
The state BJP leadership also informed that the final take on the decision to snap ties with BPF will be taken by the central core committee however, in the recent, while campaigning for the BTC poll, both BJP and BPF have been in the forefront in blame-game against each other.
The blame game also sent two other parties, former Bodo student leader Pramod Boro-led UPPL and Independent MP Naba Sarania’s Gana Surakha Party (GSP) in the back foot in the public relations front.
“Earlier BTC polls meant a tussle between UPPL and BPF but now, the BJP (contesting in 27 seats out of 40) have come in the front head, sending UPPL and Sarania’s party as the third and fourth contestants,” said a political commentator, who wished for anonymity.
“This may be another inside-door decision between BJP and BPF, just to make sure there is no new contender in the region. We never know that this might be another poll strategy,” he added.
Moreover, the BPF has three ministers in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government at Dispur and all these developments of breaking ties are happening despite the three ministers currently holding different portfolios.
Political experts covering this latest development informed Headline 8 that the meeting at New Delhi will also be on getting a green nod from the central committee to allow 5-6 sitting Congress MLAs to shift their bases to the saffron party.
In the last few months, politicians from all spectrums and ideologies have shifted their bases to and from the BJP including Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary who recently announced his resignation from the BPF. Daimary has shown his interest in joining the BJP. Moreover, it is reported that few more politicians including top leaders with the BPF are likely to join BJP.
It is also informed that the uncertainty over the Congress and Badaruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF alliance ahead of the election, few sitting Congress MLAs including some top brass in the Congress are likely to join BJP.
“There will be a fight for seats between the Congress and AIUDF if the alliance is formed. Few Congress MLAs are in fear of losing their seats for the AIUDF considering the neck-to-neck tussle in 2016 polls in their constituency. Fearing that, they are changing their foot and will join BJP,” informed a top source at the BJP.
In the ruling government, BJP has 60 MLAs, its alliance partners AGP has 14 MLAs, BPF has 12 MLAs, and support from an independent MLA in the 126-member Assam legislative assembly. In the opposition, Congress has 23 MLAs, and the AIUDF with 14 MLAs.
