The counting of votes for the 5th Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections commenced on Friday under strict security measures. Counting began at 8 am, starting with postal ballots, following polling conducted on September 22.
Kokrajhar District Commissioner and Returning Officer Masanda Pertin stated, “The counting is going on smoothly. Adequate security is deployed, and no one other than election agents has been allowed. We are confident that everything will be peaceful.”
A total of 326 candidates are contesting 40 seats across five districts of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) – Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Tamulpur, and Udalguri. Kokrajhar district alone has 12 constituencies with 100 candidates in the fray: 43 from Kokrajhar subdivision, 48 from Gossaigaon, and 1 from Parbatjhora.
The main electoral contest is between the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), led by incumbent BTC Chief Pramod Boro, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), supported by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. CM Sarma highlighted BJP’s promises for the region, including benefits for women under the Assam Orunodoi Scheme, the Mahila Udyamita Scheme, and support for girl students through the Nijut Moina Scheme. He also pledged constitutional safeguards and land rights for the BTR people.
UPPL chief Pramod Boro focused on the party’s record in restoring peace and stability to the region after years of unrest, expressing confidence that voters would continue to support the UPPL administration.
Counting is expected to continue throughout the day, with officials emphasizing smooth and transparent procedures under tight security.