Counting of votes for the fifth general elections of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) began at 8 am on Friday under tight security arrangements.
Kokrajhar district accounts for 12 of the total 40 BTC constituencies, with 100 candidates contesting in these seats—43 from Kokrajhar sub-division, 48 from Gossaigaon, and one from Parbatjhora. Across the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), a total of 316 candidates contested elections across five districts: Kokrajhar, Chirang, Udalguri, Baksa, and Tamulpur.
Polling for the BTC elections was held on September 22. The current BTC Chief, Pramod Boro of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), faces stiff competition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party in Assam. The BJP, ahead of the polls, released its manifesto promising implementation of welfare schemes including the Assam Orunodoi Scheme, Mahila Udyamita Scheme, and Nijut Moina Scheme, along with constitutional safeguards and land rights for the people of BTR.
Pramod Boro emphasized that his administration has brought peace to the region after years of unrest. In previous elections, the UPPL and BJP had jointly formed the BTC government. Other parties contesting this election include the Bodoland People’s Party (BPP) led by Hagrama Mohilary, Congress, and regional outfits.
Of the 40 BTC constituencies, 30 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes, five for non-STs, and five are unreserved, with a total electorate of 26.58 lakh voters. The Assam State Election Commission has set up 3,279 polling stations across the region.
