Hagrama Mohillary-led Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) wants the authorities to make an arrangement for ‘secret ballot’ voting during the floor test in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to prove the party’s majority.
BPF emerged as the single largest party by winning the majority of seats in the last BTC polls.
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However, later some of their representatives switched loyalties owing to the absence of anti-defection law in the 6th schedule councils.
Bodoland People’s Front MLA and spokesperson Durga Das Boro said, “BPF president Hagrama Mohilary is in talks with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the matter of secret ballot voting.”
“The BPF should be given the scope to prove its majority in the Council. Everybody knows that if voting is conducted in the secret ballot mode, the BPF will be able to prove its majority in BTC,” Boro said.
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He further said, “The overall management of BTC is monitored by the Governor of Assam. But the state government can advise the Governor to hold the secret ballot vote.”
“In such a situation, the Governor may accept the advice of the government and conduct secret ballot voting,” he added.
Boro also said if the BPF could prove its majority in BTC, it would not affect the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government in any way.
“We will cordially work with the state government for the development of the state and the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR),” Boro said.
In the BTC polls held in January 2021, altogether 17 candidates of the BPF were elected to the Council.