GUWAHATI: The Congress is piggybacking on Bodoland People’s Front chief Hagrama Mohilary to get support in those seats in Assam where Bodo community votes are a factor. The BPF was its coalition partner in the Assam government and has come back to the fold once again after breaking off with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
According to sources the grand old party has finalised to give Hagrama 12 seats on a platter. On Wednesday APCC president Ripun Bora and Assam Incharge Bhanwar Jitendra Singh had a meeting at Vivanta by Taj, Guwahati where seat sharing and other cooperation was discussed. Congress wants Hagrama to influence voters from the Bodo community in those seats where they have sizeable presence and can swing the tide in Mahagathbandhan’s favour. Ripun Bora indicated to the media that as the Congress had less chances of winning in a few constituencies that they wanted to contest from BTR areas they will let Hagrama have the seats. The objective was to uproot the BJP from Assam and for that Congress is ready to make some sacrifices.
The Congress wants BPF and Hagrama to canvass for Congress candidates in Upper Assam, Central Assam, Lower Assam and even in the Char (riverine) areas. Hagrama Mohilary has agreed to the Congress proposal. Mohilary was accompanied by his second in command Khampa Borgoyari.
According to a source in BPF, Hagrama Mohilary will canvass in at least 18 seats for the Congress and the Mahagathbandhan candidates. For the first phase the BPF will canvass in Dhekiajuli, Borsola, Rangapara, Gohpur, Sootea, Bihupuria, Dhemaji, Jonai, Golaghat, Sarupathar.
In 2006, for the first time, the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress came to power with the support of BPF who entered the government as an alliance partner. BPF changed its stance in 2014 and got in bed with the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections. It continued its alliance with the BJP in 2016 Assam Legislative Assembly Elections and shared power in Dispur where it was given three ministerial berths. BPF and BJP partnership came to an end during the recently concluded BTC elections where BJP formed the government with Pramod Bodo-led UPPL.
