Assam: BPF's Hagrama Mohilary leads in Debargaon as BTC vote counting continues

Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) candidate Hagrama Mohilary has taken an early lead in Kokrajhar’s Debargaon constituency during the first round of vote counting for the fifth Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections.

Mohilary has secured 2,779 votes, outpacing his nearest rival, Kampa Borgoyary of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), who has 2,120 votes, giving Mohilary a lead of 659 votes.

Counting of votes across the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) began at 8 am on September 26 under tight security. A total of 316 candidates are contesting 40 BTC constituencies in five districts: Kokrajhar, Chirang, Udalguri, Baksa, and Tamulpur.

Kokrajhar district has 12 constituencies with 100 candidates in the fray, including 43 from Kokrajhar sub-division, 48 from Gossaigaon, and one from Parbatjhora. Other districts also saw strong contests, with multiple regional and state parties vying for control.

Current BTC chief Pramod Boro of the UPPL faces competition from the BJP, BPF, Congress, and other local parties. The BJP, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma campaigning actively, has promised schemes for women, students, and tribal communities, along with constitutional safeguards and land rights in the BTR.

Of the 40 council constituencies, 30 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes, five for non-STs, and five remain unreserved. The elections saw 26.58 lakh voters casting ballots across 3,279 polling stations.

Security has been heightened across the region to ensure a smooth counting process, with results expected to shape the political and developmental future of the Bodoland Territorial Region.