BTC Polls: BJP, Congress, & BPF leaders intensify campaigns in Bijni

Bijni, Sept 12: With only ten days left for Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, Bijni has turned into a political battlefield as top leaders from the BJP, Congress and BPF hit the campaign trail, energising voters ahead of the September 22 polls.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal addressed a massive rally at Palengbari in support of BJP candidate Ajay Kumar Roy, contesting from the 19 No. Thuribari constituency. Attacking past governments of “widespread corruption” and misuse of public money.

“In 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took government, he announced development for the people. People didn’t have houses to live in, but the government built houses and gave them a decent life. The people of Thuribari are with BJP, you can see that from their participation. Our candidate Ajay Rai has been working dedicatedly for the people. We believe he will win, and BJP will win because earlier governments indulged in corruption and misused public money,” Sonowal said.

He further asserted that only the BJP could ensure “social justice, economic development, peace, and harmony” in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). He asserted that public support was firmly with the BJP and predicted Roy would win “by a huge margin”.

Sonowal was joined at the campaign by Minister Kaushik Roy and BJP State General Secretary Pallab Lochan Das.

On the other hand, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi campaigned in the 18 No. Manas Serfang constituency, taking sharp aim at the BJP. Gogoi accused the Centre of betraying six communities who have been awaiting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for over a decade.

“Ten years earlier, PM Modi said there would be recognition of six communities within six months of forming the government, but that has not happened. People of different communities are protesting for their rights, and the government should answer whether their promise was a campaign gimmick or a real commitment. If it’s real, give us a date. The government should sit with community representatives and discuss,” Gogoi said.

He also criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling him a “flop”, and accused the BJP of shutting down local industries while handing over “40,000 bighas of land to Adani and Ambani.”

Gogoi added, “In every constituency, our candidate is ready, and we have to strengthen our party more in this election. The Congress will have a successful run in the BTR polls.”

Meanwhile, BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary rallied at Betbari playground in Bijni, campaigning for Khalilur Rahman, the party’s Thuribari candidate. Mohilary declared Rahman’s victory “certain” and accused the ruling UPPL of being inseparable from the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU). “The BTC was previously run by ABSU, and today it is the same. The BTC was run straight from ABSU’s office,” he said. He further announced, “On the 13th, our manifesto will be released, and we will state the duties and responsibilities that we will do for the BTR people.”

With fiery speeches, sharp accusations, and promises of change, Bijni has become the focal point of a high-stakes battle, reflecting the intensity of the September 22 BTC elections where every party is leaving no stone unturned to capture voter sentiment.