Kokrajhar (Assam), Oct 5: BPF president Hagrama Mohilary was sworn in as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam’s Kokrajhar district on Sunday.
Former minister Rihon Daimary was also sworn in as the deputy CEM at a function held at the Bodoland Secretariat Field here amid inclement weather.
Mohilary, who became the CEM for the fourth time, took the oath of office and secrecy, administered by Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, in English, while Daimary took it in the Bodo language.
The Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) swept the BTC polls winning 28 of the 40 seats. The United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) and the BJP, alliance partners in the outgoing BTC, finished with seven and five seats respectively.
BTC is an autonomous council for the Bodoland Territorial Region comrpising five districts – Kokrajhr, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri and Tamulpur.
Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and several of his cabinet colleagues, along with Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma of Tripura, were present on the occasion.
Acharya and Sarma congratulated Mohilary by presenting him with the Bodo scarf ‘Arnai’.
Before the oath-taking ceremony, newly elected BPF members paid their tributes to Bodo community leader Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma at Dotma.
Tributes were also paid to singer Zubeen Garg who died in Singapore last month.
The BPF had emerged as the single largest party in the 2020 polls with 17 seats, but the UPPL formed the Council with the BJP and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP).
Elections for the 40-member Council were held on September 22.
This is the second council poll after a fresh Bodo Accord was signed in New Delhi on January 27, 2020. (PTI)
