ABSTRACT
In order to administer the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam, the former insurgent leaders formed the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), a political party. The party was able to rule the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) until recently. The BPF was an alliance partner of the Congress party-led government in the state for several years. Later, it severed ties with Congress to join the BJP-led government in the state. Recently, the two have also parted ways. From the 2014 parliamentary election onwards, the non-Boros have succeeded in consolidating their influence in BTAD. The emergence of non-Boro politics has threatened the hegemony of the BPF in Boro politics. The non-Boro voters who represent the majority in the BTAD have become the major deciding factor for both Boro leaders of the BPF as well as non-Boro politicians to capture the power in the council government. This essay presents the pros and cons of the recent development of electoral politics, contestation, and debates with regards to the seat allocations between the Scheduled Tribes and the non-Scheduled Tribes in the BTAD.
