Cong woos anti -BPF Bodo groups to counter BPF-BJP alliance

Guwahati: In the wake of the Bodoland People Front (BPF), the Bodo tribe political party that is in power in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam, aligning with the BJP for the next Assam assembly polls, the anti-BPF political formations in the Bodoland areas of Assam are getting together under the banner of United People’s Party (UPP).
The UPP, which is headed by prominent Bodo political leader and former Rajya Sabha MP U G Brahma, is mainly supported by People’s Convention for Democratic Rights (PCDR), pro-talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland. The influential All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) is also behind the formation of the UPP though it is an apolitical students’ organisation.
Meanwhile, ruling Congress is confabulating with the UPP to strike understanding before the next Assembly polls to counter the BJP-BPF alliance in the polls especially in about 20 Assembly constituencies located within and in the vicinity of Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council (BTC).
On the other hand the Bodoland People’s Political Front (BPPF) led by Rabiram Narzary, a former students leader, has merged with the BPF leaving U G Brahma high and dry. The BPPF and BPF merger has been facilitated by the BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary to ensure that Bodo tribe votes don’t get divided between the BPPF and the BPF.
The division of Bodo votes was the reason behind the BPF losing Kokrajhar parliamentary seat in Lok Sabha election of 2014.The woo Bodo voters, the Congress government in Assam last week distributed land documents to a large number of Bodo settlers in Sonitpur district in north Assam. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi was present on the occasion so was senior ABSU and UPP leaders.