People stand in a queue to cast their votes during the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections at a polling station at Urahiloga village of Sonitpur district, Assam
| Photo Credit: PTI
GUWAHATI
The counting of votes for the election to Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) began at 8 a.m. on Friday (September 26, 2025).
Approximately 78.42% of 26.58 lakh voters across 40 BTC constituencies in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), comprising five districts, exercised their franchise on September 22. The highest turnout was in the Kokrajhar district (82.27%) and the lowest was in Tamulpur (75.09%).
The elections to the BTC, which administers the BTR, had been billed as the “semifinal” before the 2026 Assembly election in Assam.
The United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), headed by Pramod Boro, seeks to retain power in the BTR with or without its coalition partners — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP). Mr Boro is the chief executive member of the BTC.
The three parties came together to form the council government in 2020 despite finishing behind the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), which emerged as the single largest party with 17 seats. A former ally of the BJP, the BPF ruled the BTR for 17 years since 2003.
The UPPL, BJP, and GSP won 22 constituencies among them in the 2020 polls. However, defections from the BPF and Congress (resulting in one seat) saw the UPPL and BJP increase their seat tally from 12 to 15 and from 9 to 14, respectively.
The BJP, eyeing a greater share of the BTR pie, decided to contest the September polls independently. Its primary were the UPPL and the BPF, making it a three-cornered contest. The Congress and the All India United Democratic Front were expected to put up a strong fight in the minority-dominated constituencies.
A total of 316 candidates contested the BTC elections – 52 in Baksa, 56 in Chirang, 100 in Kokrajhar, 40 in Tamulpur, and 68 in Udalguri district.
The key constituencies include Dotma, Goibari, Debargaon, Chirang Duars, Salakati, and Bhairabkunda.
Mr Boro of the UPPL contested both Dotma and Goibari. Former BTC deputy chief Kampa Borgoyari of the UPPL faced former colleague and extremist-turned-BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary in Debargaon and Chirang Duars.
For the UPPL, sitting Kokrajhar East MLA Lawrence Islary seeks to win the Salakati seat, while BTC’s deputy chief Gobinda Basumatary hopes to retain the Bhairabkunda seat.
Published – September 26, 2025 08:51 am IST
