Just a day before Priyanka Gandhi’s two-day trip to Assam, the ‘kingmaker’ of the state Hagrama Mohilary, the supremo of the Bodoland Peoples’ Front on February 28 joined the Congress-led Mahajath. He had already left the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on February 27.
His decision to leave the BJP-led combination has come as a blow to the saffron party, as it has been observed that in the last three Assembly elections only that political combination had won which had BPF as its constituent.
The party which was founded in 2005 sided with the Congress in 2006 and 2011 Assembly elections. On both the occasions the Congress returned to power.
However, in 2016 the BPF crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party-Asom Gana Parishad combination. Thus, the alliance won. The BJP bagged 60, AGP 14 and BPF 12 seats.
As he had returned to the Congress fold and held a Press conference along with the leaders of other constituents of the Mahajath on February 28 the BJP rank and file are a bit worried lot.
It is because of this reason that Hagrama acquired the sobriquet of ‘kingmaker’.
But the BJP leaders are putting up a brave face. They are of the view that the loss of BPF would be compensated by the other Bodo outfit, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL). It needs to be mentioned that the UPPL-BJP combine controls the Bodoland Territorial Council after the December 2020 election. It is other thing that BPF, with 17 members, had emerged as the single largest party in the 40-member BTC. Thus, at the grassroots level the BPF continues to be the strongest Bodo party. Political observers are of the view that if Mahajath wins this time it would improve the bargaining position of Hagrama who on Sunday vowed to throw out the BJP from Assam.
Speaking at the joint Press conference state Congress president Ripun Bora claimed that the destiny of Assam is about to change for the better.
