BTAD goes to polls today

The Intertiol Border Gates along the Indo-Bhutan border would be sealed and restrictions imposed on the movement of people/ vehicles through the gates from 6 PM on April 7 to 6 PM of April 8

Security blanket in place to ensure peaceful polling

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, April 7: Balloting will take place on Wednesday to elect a new Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), which administers four Bodo-domited districts in Assam.

Amidst stray incidents of violence, security forces have drawn up an elaborate plan to ensure smooth polls, the third in a series, to the council since it was set up in 2003.

Voting will take place for 40 seats. The Assam Governor later nomites six members from the unrepresented communities in the region.

A total of 333 candidates are contesting in 40 constituencies, up from 149 in 2010. But there are only nine women among the hopefuls.

There are a total of 2,778 polling stations, of which 678 have been desigted hyper-sensitive and 996 sensitive.

There are a total of 20,67,005 voters, up by 11 per cent compared to the 2010 BTC polls.

Polling will be held from 8 am to 4 pm.

Around 15,000 polling staff have been arranged for smooth conduct of polls.

Eighty-two companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed for area domition.

Fifteen election observers are overseeing the exercise. Counting will be held on April 11.

Meanwhile, in view of the elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the Intertiol Border Gates along the Indo-Bhutan border would be sealed and restrictions imposed on the movement of people/ vehicles through the gates from 6 PM on April 7 to 6 PM of April 8.

The Bodoland election assumes significance for political parties in Assam, particularly ahead of Assembly elections early next year.

According to an election official, the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), which has been in power in the BTC since its first election in 2005, has fielded 40 candidates this time.

The BJP, an emerging force, and the Congress, which rules Assam, have also fielded candidates in all the constituencies.

The AIUDF, which also has support base in some of the belts domited by Muslims, has fielded eight candidates.

The People’s Confederation of Democratic Rights (PCDR), a newly floated conglomeration of various communities living in BTAD, has supported independent candidates in all the constituencies.

Besides, there are six candidates fielded by the AGP, seven by the CPI(M), one by the CPI and 151 independents.