Assam BTC Elections 2025: Vote counting begins across five districts
Guwahati: The counting of votes for the fifth general elections of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam began at 8 am on Friday under tight security arrangements.
The elections, held on September 22, saw 316 candidates contesting across 40 constituencies in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), which spans the districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Udalguri, Baksa, and Tamulpur.
Kokrajhar district, which holds 12 of the 40 BTC constituencies, witnessed the highest number of candidates, 100 in total.
Among them, 43 candidates contested from the Kokrajhar sub-division, 48 from Gossaigaon, and one from Parbatjhora.
Pramod Boro, president of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and the current BTC Chief, is seeking re-election amid a strong challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam’s ruling party.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led a high-decibel campaign in the BTR, promising a transformative agenda. During the BJP's manifesto release, he stated:
“This election will mark a new beginning for the Bodoland Territorial Region. We will bring five lakh women under the Orunodoi, Mahila Udyamita, and Nijut Moina schemes, while also ensuring land rights and constitutional safeguards for the people of BTR.”
On the other hand, Pramod Boro has defended his administration’s performance, emphasizing that the UPPL-led government restored peace and stability after years of unrest.
The Bodoland People's Front (BPF), led by Hagrama Mohilary, along with the Congress and several regional parties, also fielded candidates in this election.
In the last BTC polls, the BJP and UPPL had formed a post-poll alliance to run the council.
According to the Assam State Election Commission, the BTC elections covered 26.58 lakh registered voters, with polling conducted at 3,279 stations across the 40 constituencies.
Of the 40 seats:
- 30 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST)
- 5 are reserved for non-STs
- 5 remain unreserved