Kokrajhar Ready for BTC Polls, Final Dates & List of Polling Stations Announced

Kokrajhar, March 13, 2020: 

Kokrajhar is ready for the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) polls scheduled on April 4, 2020, confirmed the District Commisioner's Office on Friday.

Returning Officer, Kokrajhar, Partha Pratim Mazumdar, today informed the list of constituencies, polling stations and final dates as per the notification issued on Wednesday.

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"The last date for filing the nominations for BTC elections is March 18. We will accept the nominations till 3 PM. However, we are yet to receive the nominations from the candidates who will be contesting the BTC polls," said Mazumdar.

He informed that in in Kokrajhar Sadar, there are 5 constituencies, Gossaigaon subdivision has 12, and Parbatjhora has one. The preliminary assessment of the polling areas have cited a total of 887 polling stations in these constituencies. "Out of these we have 242 safe poll stations, 415 sensitive polling stations. We will be conducting another round of review meet in the next 7-8 days. We are expecting these numbers to come down then," he added.

In Kokrajhar subdivision, 379 there are 379 polling stations. "In the kokrajhar Sadar, the total electors is 2,83,123. "We had began our work before the next election dates were Declared. Now, we are ready for the elections," he said.

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Mazumdar further informed that the candidates can withdraw their nominations by 3 PM on March 21. "Once the left out nominations are withdrawn, we will announce the final list of contestants. The elections will be conducted on April 4 and the re-polls, if required, will be conducted on April 6," added Mazumdar.

It may be mentioned here that parties and leaders of BTC have geared up for the upcoming BTC elections. Several members have swapped parties as well. Bodoland People's Front (BPF), United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been preparing for the elections. While the campaigns have begun in full swing, leaders have expressed full confidence of emerging as the winners.

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Joining of the leaders of the disbanded National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) has come up as the highlight of BTC elections. BR Ferenga, Saoraigwra, Gobinda Basumatary have joined hands with the UPPL with a promise to defeat the "demons of BTC politics".  Former All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) leader Pramod Boro also joined the UPPL to contest in the elections.

The Gana Suraksha Party has released a fresh list of 18 candidates -

1.Smt. Saraswati Das- Manas Serfang constituency.

2. Bidyut Das (13 Chirang)

3. Ranendra Koch (Kochugaon)

4. Pankaj Das (Jamduar)

5. Thaneswar Rabha (Baokhungri)

6. Mofidul Islam or Monowar Hussein (Guma)

7. Abdul Hussein or Nazramul Sheikh (Fakiragram)

8. Arpana Das (Kajalgaon)

9. Rabin Mandal (5. Serfang)

10. Biju Chandra Rabha (Rowta)

11. Rinku Borah (Kaling Duar)

12. Dimbeswar Rabha (Dhansiri)

13. Bapan Rabha (Harisinga)

14. Munindra Dela (Sukhlai Serfang)

15. Bonomali Rabha (Darrangajuli)

16. Krishna Medhi Das (Baganpara)

17. Phanin Deka (Mushalpur)

18. Smorna Dad (Salbari)

Mridul from Salakati and Sanjay from Koklabari. The remaining list of GSP will be notified on March 15, 2020.

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