Before the election of BTC (Bodoland Territorial council), Assam’s Rajya Sabha member Biswajit Daimary resigned from BPF (Bodoland People’s Front) as its working president on November 11, Wednesday. The 49-year-old is expected to join the BJP, which leads the alliance government in the state.

Daimary declared at a press meet, “I am resigning as the working president of BPF.” He reiterated his point in his letter to Hagrama Mohilary, party president and former BTC chief.  He also blamed BPF of being an obstruction in enforcing the Bodo peace deal signed with the GOI earlier this year by four factions of the insurgent outfit-National Democratic Front Of Bodoland (NDFB) along with other Bodo groups. This peace deal is expected to herald a lasting peace and bring development in the four districts under the BTR (Bodo Territorial Region).

The BTC (Bodoland Territorial Council) was constituted under the sixth schedule of the Constitution of India in the year 2003 after the signing of the Memorandum of Settlement on February 10, 2003, between the Government of India, the Government of Assam and Bodo Liberation Tiger to fulfill economic and linguistic aspirations of the local people and bring peace. The Council aims at bringing about accelerated progress to one of the most backward regions of the state of Assam with special focus on the development of the Bodo people in the field of education, preservation of land rights and its ethnic identity.

Election to the BTC, led by BPF, was planned in April this year, but the whole BTAD was placed under Governor’s rule. The BPF leadership has quite unhappy with BJP for placing BTC under the Governor‘s rule and divergences between both ruling partners had accumulated in recent months. BPF has 12 members in the state assembly. Election to BTC is anticipated to be held next month. Therefore, if Daimary joins BJP, it will surely enhance the prospects of the national party. The BPF is yet to make any statement on Daimary’s resignation.

 The author is a member of Amity center Of Happiness