Guwahati, Jan 15: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said he is uncertain about his party’s prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) region.
The BTC region accounts for 15 Assembly constituencies, and Assam is set to go to the polls early this year.
Speaking to media persons in Bijni, Sarma said, “We have lost the polls in BTC, and now I am not sure whether we will win or not in the Assembly elections.”
“There is hardly any enthusiasm on the ground. I am not getting that confidence. Candidates who are aspiring to contest will be in a better position to assess the situation—if we lost the council polls, how are we going to win the Assembly polls? Had we won, we would have fielded candidates in all 10 seats. Those aspiring for a party ticket must first ask themselves whether the public is with them or not,” the Chief Minister said.
The Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) swept the BTC council elections held in September last year. The United Peoples’ Party-Liberal (UPPL), which led the outgoing council in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), managed to secure only seven seats in the 40-member council, while the BJP won just five.
Despite the setback, the BJP remains part of the BTC government after the BPF joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The BTC region’s 15 Assembly seats, along with Bodo votes outside the council area, are considered decisive in at least 10 constituencies.
