BPF returns to NDA fold after 5-year hiatus

Guwahati: A BJP-led four-party alliance has been finalised in Assam for the ensuing assembly elections, with Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) returning to the NDA fold after a five-year gap.The other two parties in the alliance — Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Rabha Hasong Joutha Mancha (RHJM) — are BJP’s allies of 10 years, .CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said, “The alliance with AGP, BPF and Rabha Hasong Joutha Mancha was finalised on Wednesday night. The structure of the alliance will be announced once it is approved by BJP’s central committee.”Though Sarma did not divulge details about seat sharing, he said AGP will contest in almost similar numbers of seats in the polls it had contested in the 2021 elections.

The regional party contested in 25 seats in 2021 and secured only nine.“As per the alliance talks, there will be no friendly contest in any seat with the AGP. Both BJP and AGP have agreed to that. They will contest in the seats which they will get as per the seat-sharing agreement,” Sarma added.On Feb 27, Sarma had said BJP would opt for friendly contests with AGP in seats that neither party can give up, and BJP would not have any objection to that.

The BJP contested 84 seats in the 2016 assembly elections and won 60, while in the 2021 polls it fielded candidates in 93 seats, but its tally remained unchanged at 60.AGP, a key ally of BJP, had won 14 of the 24 seats it contested in the 2016 assembly elections, but its tally dropped to nine out of 25 seats it contested in the 2021 polls.Hagrama Mohilary-led BPF fought the battle of ballots in 16 seats in the 2016 polls and secured 12.

However, the BJP-BPF alliance did not continue in the 2021 polls. The Pramod Boro-led UPPL, which entered the NDA fold in the 2021 elections, won six out of the 11 seats it contested.Meanwhile, the CM said the alliance with the Rabha Hasong Joutha Manacha was also finalised. The Rabha Hasong Joutha Manacha is likely to contest in Boko-Chaygaon, Dudhnoi and Goalpara West seats, which are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.