Assam: Rajesh Prasad takes over as New Administrator of Bodoland Territorial Council

Kokrajhar, April 30, 2020:

After the imposition of the Governor's rule in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), administrator Rajesh Prasad and Principal Secretary Siddhartha Singh have assumed their office from today at the BTC secretariat in Kokrajhar, Assam.

Prasad and Singh jointly held a meeting with officers of BTC at the secretariat today, wherein Prasad promised that development will be ushered into the region.

Expressing satisfaction at the fact that the BTC remains free from the COVID-19, Prasad urged all sections of citizens to maintain social distancing protocol to ensure that the region maintains its "corona free" status.

Thanking the Governor of Assam, Jagadish Mukhi for appointing him, he said, "I am under his directions and supervisions -- whatever his wish will be, I will discharge my duties thus."

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At the same time, rumblings of discontent have been felt in the region, with the ruling Bodoland People's Front (BPF) party demanding an extension of its rule and being turned down. Now, the region's biggest political party has demanded that the polls, deferred due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, be held at once.

In a memorandum to the election commission of Assam, the BPF has said that recently, during a cabinet meeting, a decision had been taken to conduct BTC election, 2020, through an “innovative idea.”

The BPF has now urged the commission to “take appropriate steps so as to conduct the BTC Election 2020 at the earliest in accordance with the innovative steps and measures suggested by the State Government in its recent cabinet meeting.”

It is pertinent to note here that several of the BPF party’s leadership, including the Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary, have been vocally opposed to Governor’s Rule in the region.

Addressing the media recently, Daimary said that under the provision of the Constitution, the Governor cannot assume powers in the Council. “After the expiry of the Government, when due to some special reason, when the Governor thinks it is impossible to conduct elections, the Council can be extended by 6 months. If the situation continues, it can be extended for another 6 months”, Daimary said.

The MP also said that the Governor does not have discretionary powers in the BTC region, unlike other areas in Assam. In regards to the Governor’s Rule, he said that under the 20(b)(a) of the Constitution, the Governor has discretionary powers in Karbi Anglong and NC Hills only.

Daimary said that the Constitution specifies that the Governor can only assume the rule if the Council of Ministers advises him/her to take such a step. “However, our Government had advised that as per the Constitution’s sixth schedule’s paragraph 2 sublause 6(a), the regime must be extended.”

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