With the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections set for September 22, the political discourse across the region is heavily dominated by pledges of lasting peace. All major parties are vigorously campaigning, highlighting their commitment to stability in a region that has experienced significant unrest.
The BTC comprises 40 constituencies spread across five districts within the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), which shares a border with Bhutan. The elections are a crucial moment for the political future of the area.
On September 18, 2025, during the penultimate day of campaigning, key figures addressed election rallies. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bodoland Territorial Council chief Pramod Boro of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) were prominent speakers.
In Hajoowa, Baksa district—a constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Koklabari—Mr. Sarma emphasized the BJP’s pivotal role in restoring peace to the BTR. He reminded voters that the region had suffered decades of extremist and political violence until a significant peace accord in 2020. “Bodoland has seen no unrest in recent years, and this credit belongs to the BJP,” he declared, reassuring residents that land in the BTR would remain with the ‘sons of the soil’ and not be acquired by large corporations like Adani or Ambani.
These assurances come amidst allegations that the BJP government has plans to allocate land to major corporate entities for establishing thermal and solar power plants.
Meanwhile, approximately 100 kilometers east in Uttar Kalikhola, Udalguri district (a non-ST constituency in Nonwi Serfang), Mr. Boro articulated the UPPL’s vision. He asserted that his party’s unwavering focus on peace had unlocked multi-sector development projects that the BTR desperately needed, a stark contrast to the 17 years under the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
The BPF, led by former extremist-turned-politician Hagrama Mohilary, remains the UPPL’s primary rival, even as the UPPL finds itself contesting against its current ally, the BJP, in several constituencies.
Recalling the 2020 campaign, Mr. Boro recounted, “The BPF attempted to instill fear, claiming there would be arson, killings, abductions, and assaults if the UPPL gained power. Yet, nothing of the sort occurred; instead, we fostered an environment of peace.” He delivered this message to a substantial gathering, largely composed of Bengali Muslim and Adivasi communities, notably pausing his speech mid-way to respect the afternoon *azan* (Muslim prayer) from a nearby mosque.
Unlike the previous 2020 elections, the BJP and UPPL opted not to form an alliance this time. The BJP is fielding candidates in 30 seats, while the UPPL is contesting all 40 constituencies. The BPF and the Congress are also vying for all 40 seats, each making their own promises of achieving lasting peace in the BTR if elected.