GUWAHATI: Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief executive member, Pramod Boro has said that he was confident of proving his majority on the floor of the house during the composite floor test on Thursday.
The Gauhati High Court had on Tuesday ordered a ‘composite floor test’ in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) on or before December 26.
“I am confident of proving majority on the floor of the house tomorrow,” Boro said, while addressing reporters in Kokrajhar on Wednesday.
The High Court’s directive came after Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) president and former BTC chief, Hagrama Mohilary filed a writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of the appointment of CEM and other members along with six nominated members in the council.
Mohilary, in his writ petition, also contended that the BTC (Election) Rules 2004 were violated by the formation of the new council.
BPF had emerged as the single largest party, bagging 17 of the 40 seats in the two-phase BTC elections held earlier this month.
However, United Peoples’ Party Liberal, led by Boro (which won 12 seats) along with BJP (nine seats) and Gana Suraksha Party (1 seat) cobbled up a post-poll alliance to stake claim to form the council.
Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi subsequently accepted the claim and asked the alliance to form the new executive council.
The elected members of the alliance meanwhile have been “kept” in a hotel here for a few days, in an apparent attempt to prevent poaching, before being taken to Meghalaya for a “break” before taking oath and assuming office.
Reportedly, they were brought to the city again and “kept” in a five-star hotel here on Wednesday.
Reiterating good governance, the BTC chief said the new council would come up with solutions to the problems “that the BTC region has been grappling with over the past 17 years.”
Taking a dig at Mohilary for “talking about a regional alliance now, Boro said the BPF had for the past 15 to 17 years, allied with national parties and this volte face only indicated that it believed in the politics of opportunism”.
“UPPL can never be opportunistic…we believe in principled politics and finding answers to problems. Hence, after proving our majority in the composite floor test tomorrow, we will enforce measures to solve the problems plaguing various departments under the council,” the CEM said.