Guwahati, Oct 28: The United Bodo People’s Organisation (UBPO) announced on Monday that Bodos residing outside the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) will back the BJP in the upcoming by-elections for five assembly constituencies in Assam.
Sidli, Bongaigaon, Dhilao, Samaguri, and Behali are set to go to the polls on November 13, with vote counting scheduled for November 18.
UBPO, which represents over 8 lakh Bodo people living outside the BTR, aims to support the BJP in strengthening the community’s influence and ensuring representation in these constituencies.
The decision was taken in an emergency meeting of the UBPO held at Bodoland House in Guwahati on Monday.
In a press statement, UBPO president Manuranjan Basumatary and general secretary Pitambar Brahma highlighted several commitments by the BJP-led Assam government that have bolstered Bodo community support.
“The BJP-led government has created the Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) under the Third Bodo Peace Accord. The government has also pledged to demarcate constituencies and villages under this council’s jurisdiction to enhance its functionality and effectiveness,” the release said.
“Additionally, the Bodo language has been recognized as an associate official language of Assam. The government is also working to provide land rights to Indigenous families across the state and aims to address youth unemployment and improve living standards through various welfare schemes,” it further said.
“For the cause of welfare and the development of the Bodo people, the UBPO has decided to extend its support to the NJP-led alliance in the upcoming elections,” said the statement.
