Absence of anti-defection law in 6th schedule areas have now added to the ‘crisis’ in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).
Political parties in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) – both ruling and opposition now fear of ‘horse-trading’ of elected representatives to the BTC.
With the Gauhati High Court ordering the Pramod Boro-led BTC Government not to start governance in the Council areas, the BJP, UPPL and the GSP, that combined to form Government in the BTC, are now putting in best of their efforts to keep their coalition BTC Government intact.
The BJP, UPPL and the GSP, with 24 members combine in the 40-member BTC, forged a post-poll alliance to form Government in the BTR.
Also read: Assam: BPF Chief Hagrama Mohilary confident of bouncing back to power in BTC
Hotel politics seems to be at its peak in Assam, with the BJP, UPPL and the GSP trying to keep its elected BTC members at bay from ‘horse-trading’.
As per sources from inside the parties, after lodging the its elected BTC members at a hotel in Guwahati for a few days, the three parties – the BJP, UPPL and the GSP have now shifted their elected members to Shillong in Meghalaya.
On the other hand, the Hagrama Mohilary-led Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) that emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded BTC elections is also taking no chances.
As per top party sources, the BPF has shifted its elected members to Phuentsholing in Bhutan.
Phuentsholing is a border town in southern Bhutan and is located 138 kms from Kokrajhar, the BTC headquarters.
Notably, former Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Biswajit Daimary has claimed that as many as 5 elected BPF members are ready to jump ships and join the BJP.
“Several elected members from the BPF are willing to join the BJP and talks are on with them,” Daimary said.
Meanwhile, rejecting claims of BPF Chief Hagrama Mohilary that the formation new Pramod Boro-led BTC Government was unconstitutional, Biswajeet Daimary said, “BPF is only trying to create confusion and tension in the BTR”.
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It may be mentioned here that the Gauhati High Court in an order passed on December 18 has asked the newly formed BTC Government to maintain ‘status quo’ and not start governance.
The Gauhati High Court passed this order while hearing a petition filed by BPF Chief Hagrama Mohilary challenging the constitutional validity of the swearing-in of Pramod Boro as the new BTC Chief Executive Member (CEM).