The Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) is set to hold its council elections in the third week of September. Ahead of this, the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) has taken the initiative to unite the ruling United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and the opposition Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). ABSU President Dwipen Boro announced on Sunday that a national convention will be held before August 15 to achieve this goal.
The convention will invite all Bodo community organizations, and the resolutions adopted will be shared with the leadership of UPPL and BPF. Boro urged both parties to set aside petty interests and work toward the greater good of the community. He emphasized that if the two parties do not come forward, ABSU will have no means to proceed further.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, speaking at a Vijay Sankalp Sabha in Udalguri on Saturday, also advocated for the merger of UPPL and BPF. Additionally, he expressed his desire for the newly formed Alternative Party of Bodoland, led by Anjali Daimary, to join forces with these two parties.
Earlier, Raijor Dal President and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi had also called for the unification of UPPL and BPF. Currently, BTR is governed by a coalition of UPPL and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, the BJP has decided to contest the upcoming elections independently and has already launched its campaign under the leadership of Chief Minister Sarma.
In 2020, the BJP began its political journey in BTR in alliance with UPPL. Now, with its decision to go solo, ABSU fears that the aggressive politics of the BJP could marginalize regional parties like UPPL and BPF. ABSU remains concerned about the potential erosion of these parties, recalling how BPF faced challenges despite being in alliance with the BJP in the past. This has prompted ABSU to intensify its efforts to unite UPPL and BPF to safeguard their future.
All eyes are now on whether ABSU’s initiative will succeed. A successful merger could significantly alter the political landscape of BTR, impacting not only the council elections but also the upcoming assembly elections.
