Assam: Bodoland Territorial Council to vote on Sept 22, 316 candidates in fray

The stage is set for elections to the 40-member Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam on Monday, with 316 candidates vying for seats across the five council districts. Polling will take place from 7:30 am to 4 pm, according to the Assam State Election Commission.

Officials said that all necessary security and logistical arrangements have been made to ensure smooth polling and to prevent any untoward incidents. Polling personnel have already departed for remote stations.

The election has generated high political activity, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressing rallies in all five districts — Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri, and Tamulpur — as the BJP contests the council polls without an alliance for the first time. The ruling United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), led by incumbent BTC chief Pramod Boro, and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) have also campaigned intensively.

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A total of 26,58,153 voters, including 13,34,600 women, are eligible to cast their votes across 3,359 polling stations. Of these, 187 polling stations will be managed entirely by women polling personnel. The district-wise distribution includes 575 stations in Baksa, 510 in Chirang, 942 in Kokrajhar, 395 in Tamulpur, and 937 in Udalguri.

The BTC has 40 seats, with 30 reserved for Scheduled Tribes, five for non-STs, and the remaining five open to all. Currently, the UPPL governs the council in coalition with the BJP and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP). In the last elections, held after the signing of the 2020 Bodo Accord, the UPPL won 12 seats, the BJP nine, and the GSP one. The BPF had emerged as the single largest party with 17 seats, while Congress won one seat, though its member later joined the BJP.

Repolling, if required, will take place on September 24, while votes will be counted on September 26. The election process is expected to conclude by September 28.