Guwahati: United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL) chief Promode Bodo was on Sunday announced as the new Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). He will now head the 40-member new Council, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal told reporters here a day after the recently concluded BTC polls resulted in a hung house.
The BJP had, earlier this day, decided to join hands with the UPPL and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) to jointly form the next Council since the elections yesterday had thrown up a fractured mandate.
Assam chief minister Sonowal announced Promode Bodo's name as the CEM of the Council after a meeting with the representatives of all the three parties.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar also made the announcement on this day.
"Today Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) results have come. BJP won 9 seats and in coalition with United People's Party Liberal we got an absolute majority. For Chief Executive Member (CEM) we've suggested the name of Pramod Boro and he'll take over as CEM," Javadekar said.
The decision was taken following deliberations since last night among North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor and minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP President Ranjit Dass, BJP National General Secretary and Mangaldoi MP Dilip Saikia, UPPL Chief Promode Bodo and GSP Chief and Kokrajhar MP Naba Kumar Sarania.
The BJP'S alliance partner in the state government - the Bodo Peoples' Front (BPF) - has emerged as the single largest party with 17 seats. The UPPL has won 12, the BJP won 9, while the GSP and Congress have bagged one seat each.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also congratulated the BJP's Assam unit along with ally UPPL for securing a 'comfortable majority' in Assam BTC election.
"NDA secured a comfortable majority in Assam Bodoland Territorial Council polls. Congratulations to our ally UPPL, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and party's Assam unit. I thank people of Assam for their continued faith in Prime Minister's resolve towards developed North East," tweeted Shah.
BPF Chief Hagrama Mohilary had earlier in the day appealed to the BJP to extend its support to form the Council as both parties were still in alliance in the state and at the centre.
The BPF had headed the Council for the last three terms with Mohilary as its Chief Executive Member (CEM).
The elections in 40 constituencies in the region were held in two phases on December 7 and December 10 while the results were declared on December 12.
The election to the Council was held after a fresh Bodo Accord was signed in New Delhi on January 27 by the leaders of all four factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)- then All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) Chief Pramod Boro, then BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
The election to the BTC cover the four districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri which falls under the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
(With inputs from agencies)
