IANS
GUWAHATI, APRIL 6
Balloting will take place on Wednesday to elect a new Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), which administers four Bodo-dominated districts in Assam.The BTC runs the administration in the districts of Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri, home to most of Assam`s three million Bodo tribals.
Security forces have drawn up an elaborate plan to ensure smooth polls, the third in a series, to the council since it was set up in 2003.
Voting will take place for 40 seats. The Assam governor later nominates six members from the unrepresented communities in the region.
A total of 333 candidates are contesting in 40 constituencies, up from 149 in 2010. But there are only nine women among the hopefuls.
The Bodoland election assumes significance for political parties in Assam, particularly ahead of assembly elections early next year.
Security arrangements have been reviewed at regular intervals, fearing that the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) might try to disturb the election process.
"There has been sufficient deployment of forces in all the sensitive areas," said a senior Assam Police official.
Lt Gen Sarath Chand, chief of the army`s 4 Corps based in Tezpur, visited the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) last week and reviewed the law and order situation with Assam Police officials and deputy commissioners of the four districts.
"The meeting was held to assess the current security scenario and formulate plans to ensure that the BTAD remains peaceful and all probable causes which can disturb peace are dealt with an iron hand," he added.
According to an election official, the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), which has been in power in the BTC since its first election in 2005, has fielded 40 candidates this time.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, an emerging force, and the Congress, which rules Assam, have also fielded candidates in all the constituencies.
The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) headed by perfume trader Badaruddin Ajmal, which also has support base in some of the belts dominated by Muslims, has fielded eight candidates.
The People`s Confederation of Democratic Rights (PCDR), a newly floated conglomeration of various communities living in BTAD, has also supported independent candidates in all the constituencies.
Besides, there are six candidates fielded by the Asom Gana Parishad, seven by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), one by the CPI and 151 independents.
The BTC was established under the sixth schedule of the Constitution.
