United People’s Party Liberal has announced that it will go solo in this election and contest 15 seats. On Monday it announced a list of eight candidates. Central party vice-president RN Sinha said that UPPL has broken away from NDA owing to ideological differences.
Former minister Pramila Rani Brahma has put forward her candidature for Kokrajhar seat while wife of Hagrama Shiuli Mohilary is also vying for the party ticket from this seat.
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Brahma has been representing this Kokrajhar East constituency since 1991. She lost the polls in 2021. She was minister for Forest and Environment, Soil Conservation and Mines and Mineral Departments in the Sarbananda Sonowal council of ministers from 2016 to 2019 and she was minister for Agriculture and Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Castes in the Congress government. For three terms she won as an independent candidate and since 2006 she has won as BPF candidates.
Post delimitation exercise of 2023 the Kokrajhar East seat was renamed as Kokrajhar. When asked by media persons about his wife vying for the seat, Mohilary said, “Anyone in the party can apply for the candidature and just asking for a ticket does not mean my wife is taking a plunge into politics.”
Pramila Rani Brahma on March 15, submitted her application seeking the party ticket from the Kokrajhar Legislative Assembly Constituency.Also Read |Assam Elections: AIUDF, AJP announce key candidates, Ajmal in Binnakandi
Brahma said she decided to seek the nomination following requests from the youth and the public. She also stated that this would be the last election.
When asked about Shiuli Mohilary seeking a party ticket from the same constituency, Brahma said there is nothing wrong with aspiring to contest elections. “In a democracy, everyone has the right to seek a ticket. The party high command will decide who will contest”.
State president of BJP Dilip Saikia recently said, “ Alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) may get 25 seats while Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) may contest in 10 to 11 seats.”
UPPL on Monday declared a list of seven candidates. The regional party has announced that it is no longer part of NDA. BJP had declared that it will contest four seats out of 15 seats in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said its ally Bodoland BPF will contest 11 seats. UPPL must talk to BPF if it wants to contest the alliance. BTC has 15 seats.
The UPPL list features several key leaders, with sitting Kokrajhar MLA Lawrence Islary being renominated.
Party president Pramod Boro will contest from Tamulpur, while Aninda Basumatary has been fielded from Gossaigaon. Raju Kumar Narzary will contest from Dotma, Nerson Boro from Bhergaon, former All-Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) president Dipen Boro from Udalguri, and three-time MLA Kamalsing Narzary from Bijni.
UPPL general secretary Raju Kumar Narzary, “We are confident of securing a strong mandate from the people. Our candidates represent grassroots leadership and the aspirations of the region.”
The party reiterated that the remaining candidates for the other constituencies will be announced in due course.
In the present assembly BJP has 64 MLAs, while its allies — Asom Gana Parishad, United People’s Party Liberal and Bodoland People’s Front — have nine, seven and three legislators, respectively. In the Opposition, the Congress has 26 MLAs, the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) 15, the CPI(M) one, and one Independent.
BTC accounts for 15 assembly seats. BPF swept the council polls held in September last year. The UPPL was ruling the outgoing council in an alliance with the BJP and could secure only seven seats in the 40-member house. BJP could win only 5 seats in the BTC elections.
BJP is part of the BTC government as BPF has joined the NDA. Outside council Bodo votes are the determining factor in at least 10 assembly seats.
Assam has 126 assembly seats and in a single phase the state will go to polls on April 9.
