Campaigning for the elections to Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) came to a adjacent connected Saturday (September 20, 2025), officials said.
Elections to the 40 BTC constituencies crossed the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) volition beryllium held connected September 22. The BTC governs the BTR comprising 5 districts of north-central and occidental Assam, each bordering Bhutan.
The run signifier was peaceful, barring a clash betwixt the supporters of the ruling United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and rival Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) successful Kokrajhar district’s Baukhungri constituency connected September 9.
The returning officers of these districts issued orders announcing the extremity of the run 48 hours up of the polls. According to the State Election Commission, voting volition beryllium held from 7.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. crossed 3,359 polling stations.
The polling hours volition beryllium the aforesaid for caller polls, if required, connected September 24, 2 days earlier the day of counting of votes.
“During this (silence) period, nary idiosyncratic shall convene, hold, attend, articulation oregon code immoderate nationalist gathering oregon procession related to the election. Further, nary predetermination substance whitethorn beryllium displayed to the nationalist by means of cinematography, tv oregon immoderate akin apparatus, nor whitethorn immoderate predetermination propaganda beryllium carried retired done philharmonic concerts, theatrical performances oregon different amusement intended to pull nationalist attention,” the bid read.
The BTC has 26.6 lakh voters, including 13.3 lakh women, and 17 others.
Three-way contest
A full of 316 candidates are contesting the BTC elections — 52 of them successful Baksa, 56 successful Chirang, 100 successful Kokrajhar, 40 successful Tamulpur, and 68 successful the Udalguri district. The contention is expected to beryllium betwixt the UPPL, the BPF, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The UPPL rules the BTC successful confederation with the BJP and the determination Gana Suraksha Party. Keen connected penetrating the BTR deeper, the BJP decided against immoderate pre-poll confederation with the UPPL, dissimilar during the 2020 polls. Candidates of the 2 parties volition look each different successful 30 constituencies.
The BPF, a erstwhile BJP state which temporarily befriended the Congress party, seeks to instrumentality to powerfulness successful the BTR aft 5 years. The enactment had ruled the tribal assembly for 17 years from 2003.
Some of the cardinal constituencies are Dotma and Goibari. BTC main and UPPL president Pramod Boro is contesting some seats. His opponents successful the archetypal are incumbent Prakash Basumatary of the BPF and Manoranjan Brahma of the BJP, portion successful the second, helium faces Jiten Muchahary of the BPF.
Kampa Borgoyari, the BTC’s erstwhile lawman chief, is besides contesting 2 seats – Debargaon and Chirang Duars. His premier rival successful some seats is BPF main Hagrama Basumatary, a erstwhile extremist who ruled the BTC for 17 years.
The different large constituencies are Salakati and Bhairabkunda.
Sitting Kokrajhar East MLA Lawrence Islary of the UPPL volition beryllium up against Derhasat Basumatary of the BPF and Kabita Basumatary of the BJP successful Salakati. The BTC’s lawman chief, Gobinda Basumatary of the UPPL, volition instrumentality connected erstwhile Assam Minister Rihon Daimary of the BPF and Minon Mushahary of the BJP successful Bhairabkunda.
