Council formed in “undemocratic” manner, alleges BPF

Addressing the media on Wednesday, senior BPF leader and state minister Pramila Rani Brahma asserted that the party would now seek legal help against the “undemocratic manner” of formation of the council by members of the three-party alliance.

“The people’s mandate has been with BPF and we have achieved single largest majority by virtue of winning 17 seats out of 40. Yet we have not been invited to form the council,” Brahma said.

She further said that such a state of affairs has no place in democracy. “But still we have been patient and now are planning to seek legal help. We will abide by the law,” she said.

The announcement comes in the wake of an elected BPF member Reo Reoa Narzihary quitting the party, thereby reducing the party’s strength to 16 seats in the council.

Later, speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, BJP state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass refuted the charges saying that the process was democratic and that the 22 elected members had signed on the letter submitted to the Governor, staking claim to form the council following an invitation.

“The Governor has invited us and given his approval to the alliance to form the council,” Dass said.

Earlier, BPF general secretary Prabin Boro had on Monday claimed that the party had sought seven days’ time from the Governor to prove majority but did not get a response.

Meanwhile, the elected members of the alliance, who were taken to Kokrajhar in a luxury bus from a hotel here on Tuesday morning for the ceremony, were again brought back to the hotel in the evening.

Speculations were rife as to whether the members were “kept confined” to their hotel rooms in a bid to prevent any communication with outsiders.

Newly sworn-in BTC chief executive member, Pramod Boro however denied that the elected members were being confined to the hotel.

“We are having a good time in the hotel. Some internal policy matters and plans are being discussed by the members,” Boro told reporters here on Wednesday.