Spectre of violence in BTAD

BTC ELECTIONS

1 killed, 6 injured in attack on BPF youth camp, Hagrama blames PCDR

BY OUR BUREAU

KOKRAJHAR/GUWAHATI, April 6: One BPF youth activist was killed and six others injured in pre-poll violence at Haldwijhora village, Haltugaon under Kokrajhar police station on Sunday night. He has been identified as Dilip Boro (35) alias Keteng of East Dubinjhora village.

Boro, an ex-BLT member was a supporter of the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), youth wing and the in-charge of Youth BPF camp at Haldwijhora. Eyewitnesses said a group of unidentified miscreants attacked the Youth BPF Camp at Alufarm, Haldwijhora on Sunday at around 8.30 pm. The injured persons have been identified as Bisombar Brahma (46), Samarendra rzary (32), Amal Chandra Basumatary (62), Ratan rzary (35), Swmkhwr Rabha (23) and Daoharu Brahma (22).

BPF president Hagrama Mohilary strongly condemned the incident and blamed the People’s Coordition of Democratic Rights (PCDR) for the attack on the BPF Youth camp. He appealed to the administration to arrest chief co-coorditor of PCDR, Rwngwra rzary and ABSU president Pramod Boro for allegedly inciting the incident.

Polling will be held on Wednesday from 8 am to 4 pm to elect a new Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), which administers four the Bodo-domited districts of Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri.

Security forces have drawn up an elaborate plan to ensure smooth polls, the third for the BTC since it was set up in 2003.

Voting will take place for 40 seats and there will be 2,778 polling stations in the BTAD. “20,67,005 voters will exercise their franchise on April 8,” said Assam State Election Commission Commissioner HN Bora. Counting will take place on April 11.

A total of 315 candidates are contesting in the 40 constituencies this time. But there are only nine women among the hopefuls.

The election in BTAD assumes significance for political parties in Assam, particularly ahead of Assembly elections in the State next year.

Security arrangements have been reviewed at regular intervals, fearing that the anti-talk faction of the tiol Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) might try to disturb the election process.

“There has been sufficient deployment of forces in all the sensitive areas,” said a senior Assam Police official.

Lt Gen Sarath Chand, chief of the army’s 4 Corps based in Tezpur, visited the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) last week and reviewed the law and order situation with Assam Police officials and Deputy Commissioners of the four districts.

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.