BTC ELECTION: THE NEW POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION

The Bodoland Territorial Council has developed many controversial subjects concerning land alienation and property rights that undoubtedly have already become the core electoral issues. This election will elect members to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the autonomous district council for the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), a council constituted under the provision of the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The election for 40 seats for the BTC council was due to be held on 4 April 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the term of the council was expired there were two possibilities. The first one was none other than the extension of the then-existing council for another six months and the second one was to place it under the President's rule by the Governor of Assam. On 27 April 2020, it was announced that Bodoland would come under Governor's rule until a new council is elected.

- Kishor Kumar Kalita

Most surprisingly the election manifesto released this time by the BJP made a promise to make land alienation easier in the BTR region.

Dr.Himanta Biswa Sarma, one of the powerful ministers of Assam assured before the media that if the BJP comes to power, buying and selling of land will be made easy and the process will be made so that one can buy or sell his or her land within 15-30 days. Apart from this pertinent assurance the BJP also announced certain promises that includes implementation of all the clauses of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) Accord, that was signed on 27th January,2020; inclusion and exclusion of villages; abolition of Village Council Development Committee (VCDC) system; introduction of a three-tier Panchayati system; creating Tamulpur as a separate district, curving out of present Baksa district, and abolishing the Central Selection Board, etc.