UPPL’s NDA future uncertain as Brahma flags BPF induction, 2026 poll plans
State Minister UG Brahma said that the UPPL would remain in the NDA until the 2026 State Assembly elections
A file image of UPPL president Pramod Boro and Assam CM Sarma at NDA workers meet on September 18, 2024 (Photo: Pramod Boro/meta)
Kokrajhar, Nov 20: The future of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) hangs in the balance after the inclusion of one Bodoland People's Party (BPF) legislator in the NDA ministry headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Talking to The Assam Tribune at the Kokrajhar circuit house, State Minister UG Brahma said that the UPPL would remain in the NDA until the 2026 State Assembly elections.
Brahma stated that the BJP and UPPL signed an agreement before the 2021 Assembly polls to collaborate for five years. As part of the deal, the UPPL would remain in the NDA until the next Assembly elections.
He said that the NDA partners are scheduled to meet by the end of this year to decide the future course of action, and the fate of the UPPL's role in the NDA is likely to be decided in that meeting.
At the same time, Brahma said that inducting a BPF legislator was the decision of the BJP and the UPPL has nothing to say about it. He pointed out that just before the recently concluded BTC polls, the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) and several other organisations wanted the BPF and UPPL to join hands.
The UPPL was keen on such a move, but the BPF did not show any interest. He said that long-term association with the BPF, under the present circumstances, would be difficult.
On the debacle of the UPPL in the BTC polls, Brahma said that the vote share of the UPPL has not decreased. But as the UPPL was considered close to the BJP, the people of the minority community voted for the BPF.
He also said that there was no pre-poll alliance between the BJP and UPPL before the BTC polls.
"In the 2020 BTC polls, the BJP and UPPL did not have a poll alliance and contested polls separately. We only had a post-poll alliance," he added.
With its fate in the NDA uncertain, the UPPL has started preparations to con-test the 2026 Assembly elections alone if required. Brahma said that the party would contest a few seats even outside the BTC area.