Assam polls: BJP, UPPL look forward to cash in on anti-incumbency factor in BTR

UDALGURI: The BJP and United People’s Party-Liberal (UPPL) look forward to cash in on the anti-incumbency factor to “make Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) free from misrule of the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF)” in the Assam assembly elections.

This was stated unanimously by Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) deputy chief Gobinda Basumatary of the UPPL and BJP’s Panery candidate Biswajit Daimary before filing their nominations at Tangla today.

“Defeating Rihan Daimary, who has been an MLA and minister for the past 20 years, in Udalguri will certainly be a challenge. But, the anti-incumbency factor that the BPF has cultivated against itself by not working for the people will definitely help us. People are looking for a change because they had enough of BPF misrule over the past 17 years,” Basumatary, who filed nomination from Udalguri, said.

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“This is the first time that the BJP and UPPL are contesting the assembly polls in alliance, and we’re hopeful of a landslide victory. The biggest challenge ahead of us will be to serve the people who have not been served by a government over the past 20 years. We’ll have to take care of water supply, unemployment, healthcare, education, roads and what not. And, the people will expect us to deliver them immediately what they have missed over the past 20 years,” the former NDFB leader elaborated.

“I am yet to start my campaign for the assembly polls. But, as BTC deputy chief I can see a lot of problems the people have been facing and so the people will look for an alternative … They are suffering because the BPF was in power for a long time,” he added.

About Daimary as a BJP candidate from Panery, Basumatary said: “He has been a successful politician all along ... There were little discord over seat sharing as far as Panery was concerned, but those have also been sorted out and I am hopeful, he will enjoy the support of all the people.”

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Daimary also complimented Basumatary’s candidature saying the UPPL has already been accepted by the people. “The BTC poll was a testimony. People are actually sick of the BPF who have governed only for themselves. So, I am hopeful that the UPPL will eight seats from the BTR and the BJP will win the remaining four seats,” Daimary said.

“The fact that the BPF ministers are yet to step down even after the severance of ties with the BJP speaks volumes about their mentality of serving only themselves and not the people. They love to share the dais with the chief minister for their personal gains only,” the former BPF leader, who joined the BJP late last year, said.

This is the second time a BJP leader has taken a jibe at the three BPF ministers in the Sarbananda Sonowal government. Earlier, BJP state president Ranjeet Kr Dass made a similar statement and social welfare minister Pramila Rani Brahma took strong exception of it.