Four districts in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) are all set to go to polls on April 4. These districts are Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar and Udalgiri. Elections will be held for 40 seats in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) from 8 A.M to 4 P.M on April 4. Repoll if required will be conducted on April 6, and counting will take place on April 8.

The Assam State Election Commission issued a notification to this effect on April 11. The notification may be viewed here:

March 18 is the last date for filing nominations and both, the Congress and BJP gearing up for a pitched electoral battle in the region, even as local parties like the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), Gana Suraksha Manch (GSM) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), remain poised to play kingmakers. The Congress has released it list of candidates for 13 out of the 40 constituencies. BJP meanwhile plans to contest all 40 seats.

In fact, just a few days before the notification, the BJP had announced its decision to go solo, ditching traditional allies like the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). This also makes one wonder if they would come together for the assembly polls next year. But it appears that perhaps the BJP has not cut ties with the BPF completely. In fact, when BPF president Hagrama Mohilary filed his nomination papers on Monday, he told reporters that the BPF has the support of both, the BJP as well as the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and is therefore going to with 25-30 seats in the BTC. Mohilary filed nomination from from the Debargaon ST constituency, while his party members Doneswar Goyary filed nomination for Baokhungri ST constituency, Derhasat Basumatary for Salakati ST constituency and Rajib Brahma for Banargaon ST constituency.

Perhaps the BJP is using these polls to test their own strength in the region. Or this may be a carefully calibrated strategy to dent the votes of Naba Sarania’s Gana Suraksha Manch (GSM). Sarania, who is the two-time MP from the Kokrajhar constituency, told The Telegraph, “The BJP is aiming to divide the non-Bodo voters in the constituencies where the GSM candidates’ potential of winning is quite high. But they must understand that the non-Bodo voters neither trust the BJP nor the BPF and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).”

The UPPL has a new leader in Pramod Boro who is banking on the anti-incumbency factor. After filing his nomination papers on Monday at Tamulpur, Boro told The Sentinel, “UPPL will give a corruption-free BTC to the common people where each and every people will be able to enjoy their constitutional rights. People have full faith in UPPL and people of BTC will cast their valuable votes in favour of UPPL.”

It is noteworthy that this election comes after the signing of the historic Bodo accord on January 27. As per the terms of the agreement over 1500 armed cadres will shun violence, surrender weapons and become a part of a rehabilitation scheme. The center has sanctioned a special package of Rs 1500 crores for developing Bodo areas.

Here’s a quick look at some facts and figures: BTC has a total of 46 seats. While 40 council members are elected, 6 are nominated. Voting will take place across 3, 077 polling stations, out of which 521 have been identified as very sensitive, and 1,000 others have been dubbed sensitive. 15,000 personnel will be deputed at the booths.

Related:

Historic’ Bodo agreement hailed as ‘permanent solution’by MHA

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On January 27, the Bodo separatist groups signed an agreement with the central government and the government of Assam to end decades of hostility and reach a “permanent solution” to the Bodo dispute. As per the terms of the agreement over 1500 armed cadres will shun violence, surrender weapons and become a part of a rehabilitation scheme. The center has sanctioned a special package of Rs 1500 crores for developing Bodo areas.

Present at the signing were Present on the occasion were Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Convenor, NEDA and Assam Minister, Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Executive Member of BTC, Shri Hagrama Mohilary, representatives of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), United Boro People Organization (UBPO), National De mocratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) factions – Gobinda Basumatary, Dhirendra Boro, Ranjan Daimary, B. Saoraigwra, along with senior officers from Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of Assam.

As per a press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs, “After the agreement, the NDFB factions will leave the path of violence, surrender their weapons and disband their armed organizations within a month of signing the deal. The Union Government and the Government of Assam will take necessary measures to rehabilitate over 1500 cadres of NDFB (P), NDFB (RD) and NDFB (S), as per the laid down policy of the government.” Additionally, “The Government of Assam will establish a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council as per existing procedure. The Assam government will also notify Bodo language as an associate official language in the state and will set up a separate directorate for Bodo medium schools.”

A commission will also be set up under section 14 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, to look into the issues related to inclusion or exclusion of tribal populations living in villages adjoining Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD). ABSU and BTC representatives will be part of this commission.

The Bodo people, who are some of the earliest settlers of Assam are an ethnolinguistic group and a part of the Bodo-Kachari family. Their population is concentrated in places such as Kokrajhar, Baksha, Udalgiri, and Chirang districts of Assam. The Bodo language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family. They traditionally follow Bathouism which involves ancestor worship. Some Bodos also follow Bhahma Dharma, a form of Hinduism.

Although elements of the Bodo agitation go back to the pre-independence era, the movement gathered momentum in the 1980s when a demand for a separate state was made. The key reason was the desire to protect their own unique culture. In 2012, ethnic conflict broke out between Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslims. 100 people were killed and close to 4 lakh people were forced to flee their homes. Violent incidents continued and the next big incident took place in December 2014 when 81 people including 76 adivasis were killed by armed Bodo groups. Some 2 lakh people were again rendered homeless. This led to the center launching a large-scale military operation involving the army, the air-force and the Assam police. It was called Operation All Out and it aimed to eliminate NDFB(S) completely.

With the signing of the agreement however, it is still not clear if the demand for a separate state of Bodoland has been dropped completely. NDTV quoted ABSU President Pramod Boro saying, “There is still time for discussion on separate state. In fact during the course of negations and discussion on this accord this issue had been raised but this accord looked at the larger issue of end to armed conflicts. This has been a key issue for which ABSU had struggled and thus with this accord the armed conflict in Bodoland will get resolved. The need of the hour is sustainable peace in the region.”

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