A Correspondent
TANGLA: Amidst speculations and widespread panic among residents over rumours of Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation for the Pasnoi Serfang BTC constituency in Mazbat of Udalguri district—particularly concerning the inclusion of several villages from neighbouring Darrang, Biswanath, and Sonitpur districts into the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR)—a recent notice issued by the BTC Secretariat has further heightened tensions among the local populace.
The notice, issued by Principal Secretary of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Akash Deep, and dated May 5, 2025, sought recommendations from the Deputy Commissioners of Nalbari, Darrang, Biswanath, and Sonitpur regarding the inclusion of certain Bodo-majority villages into “suitable existing BTC constituencies”.
The move comes in the wake of the administrative expansion of the BTR following the inclusion of these villages in accordance with the BTR Accord provisions. Notably, as many as 61 such villages—largely inhabited by Bodo communities—have already been incorporated into the BTR. This has triggered intense speculation among political and civil society organizations as well as student bodies, who believe that the demographic shift—particularly the addition of Bodo voters to constituencies like Pasnoi Serfang—could alter the electoral balance.
Residents fear that such changes might lead to the reclassification of the currently unreserved constituency as an ST-reserved seat in the forthcoming BTC elections scheduled for this year. Concerns are mounting that the shifting demographics may politically marginalize non-Bodo communities, thereby limiting their representation and voice within the BTC framework.
Several organizations and conscious citizen groups have expressed apprehension that this might be part of a larger strategy to convert more constituencies into ST-reserved segments, thus altering the region’s electoral landscape.
In response to the speculations, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to BTC Chief Executive Member Pramod Boro, Raju Dhakal, addressed a press briefing in Mazbat on Tuesday. In his address, he categorically denied the rumours and clarified that the BTC Secretariat’s notice was strictly administrative and procedural in nature. He said it was intended to gather feedback from district authorities to determine the most appropriate allocation of the newly added villages to existing BTC constituencies.
He further stressed that the inclusion of a few villages in the Pasnoi Serfang constituency does not automatically translate into ST reservation. “For a constituency to be declared reserved for STs, more than 50 percent of its population must belong to Scheduled Tribes. Based on current data, there is no indication that this threshold will be met,” he stated.
He also cautioned political parties and organizations against spreading misinformation without verifying facts and urged all stakeholders to collect accurate data before making public statements. He emphasized the need to maintain peace and unity in the region.
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