BTC election date should be declared by Nov 20: Gauhati High Court to EC

Guwahati: As electioneering picks up steam in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC)The Gauhati High Court (GHC) has directed the Election Commission to declare the election date of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) by November 20. The High Court has also asked for the release of an election notification in regards to the upcoming BTC elections.

Hearing a PIL (59/2020) filed on the BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council) election, a division bench of the Gauhati High Court has urged the EC to begin the process of conducting polls.

The High Court bench comprising Chief Justice (acting) N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Manish Choudhury asked the SEC to conduct the polls “in terms with the decision of the Council of Ministers’ meeting held on October 7, 2020.” The election commission had earlier said that it will declare the poll dates after Bihar election result.

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Earlier, North East Democratic Front (NEDA) convenor and Assam health, finance and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that elections for Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections would be held before December 15.

The BTC elections were delayed after the COVID-19 landed on Indian shores, making it nearly impossible to conduct polls. Governor Jagadish Mukhi later took charge of the Council, replacing the Hagrama Mohilary-led BPF Government.

Dr. Sarma stated that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to form the government in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

“BJP aims to get power in BTC. Because there are lot of works to be done in BTR.  A national political party with its governments at centre and state is needed to complete these works. Therefore, we aim to form a BJP government at Kokrajhar,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

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