In Assam, events promise lasting peace as Bodoland polls close to

The promise of lasting peace dominated the ballot rhetoric as political events campaigned arduous for the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections to be held on September 22.

The BTC has 40 constituencies unfold throughout 5 districts of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) bordering Bhutan.

On Thursday (September 18, 2025), the third-last day of campaigning, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and BTC chief Pramod Boro of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) addressed rallies.

In Baksa district’s Hajoowa, Mr. Sarma underscored the BJP’s function in restoring peace within the BTR, which endured extremist and political violence for many years till 2020. Hajoowa is in Koklabari, a seat reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST).

“Bodoland didn’t witness any unrest prior to now few years. The credit score goes to the BJP,” he mentioned, assuring the folks that land within the BTR will stay with the “sons of the soil” and never go to “Adani and Ambani”.

There have been allegations that the BJP has been planning to present land to main company homes to arrange thermal and solar energy crops.

Around 100 km to the east, in Udalguri district’s Uttar Kalikhola, Mr. Boro mentioned that the UPPL’s concentrate on peace paved the way in which for multi-sector improvement tasks that the BTR lacked regardless of 17 years of rule by the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). Uttar Kalikhola is in Nonwi Serfang, a non-ST constituency.

Led by former extremist leader-turned-politician Hagrama Mohilary, the BPF is the UPPL’s foremost rival, though the latter is up towards its present ally the BJP in a number of seats.

“During our 2020 ballot marketing campaign, the BPF tried to scare folks by saying there can be arson, killings, abductions, and assaults if the UPPL got here to energy. Nothing occurred, as we ensured an environment of peace,” Mr. Boro informed a sizeable gathering of largely Bengali Muslim and Adivasi folks.

He paused his handle halfway for the afternoon azan, or Muslim prayer, at a mosque close to the venue to finish.

Unlike the 2020 elections, the BJP and UPPL didn’t go for an alliance. While the previous is contesting 30 seats, the latter has fielded candidates in 40 constituencies. The BPF and Congress, contesting 40 seats every, have additionally been promising lasting peace within the BTR if voted to energy.