BJP using 'remote control' politics to undermine UPPL, BPF: Gaurav Gogoi

With just two months to go before the crucial Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, political activities in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) are gaining momentum, marked by sharp rhetoric, parallel rallies, and visible posturing by key players.

The spotlight on Monday was on newly appointed Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Gaurav Gogoi, who began a two-day visit to Kokrajhar with a public rally at Adabari Playground in the Baokhungri constituency. Addressing the gathering, Gogoi took swipes at both state and regional rivals, alleging that the BJP’s alliance with Bodo-based parties like the UPPL and BPF was a strategy to “remote-control” regional politics.

“The BJP wants to destroy both the UPPL and BPF, whether it’s Promod Boro or Hagrama Mohilary. They’re pulling the strings from behind the scenes,” Gogoi claimed, asserting that Congress had made sacrifices for BTR and was regaining public trust.

He also cast doubt on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent remarks about cancelling the proposed Paglijhora thermal project in Bashbari, calling the CM “a man who has lied a thousand times.”

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Responding to Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi’s jibe calling him “immature,” the Congress MP hit back, saying, “If I’m so immature, why do they want an alliance with me?”

In a measured response, UPPL President and BTC Chief Executive Member Promod Boro countered Gogoi’s claims without naming him directly. Speaking at a parallel event in Kakrikhola, just 7 km from the Congress rally, Boro said:

“Just because a Congress state president visits doesn’t mean the UPPL is finished. As a party, we are doing perfectly well.”

The UPPL event, billed as a beneficiary interaction and awareness meeting, served as a show of strength for the ruling party in a constituency now clearly emerging as a political flashpoint.

Monday’s duelling rallies in Baokhungri reflect the growing intensity of the electoral battle in BTR, with national, state, and regional parties eyeing a share of the strategically vital council. As campaigning accelerates, the region is bracing for a high-stakes political contest shaped by identity, alliances, and grassroots mobilisation.