Bodo party may ally with BJP

Guwahati, June 20 (IANS) The Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF), a long time ally of the ruling Congress party in Assam, Friday said it might sever its ties with the Congress soon and support the BJP in the 2016 state assembly election.

BPF spokesman Prabin Bodo told reporters here: "We have been discussing among ourselves about our support to the Congress." He said it would not be surprising if the party supports the Bharatiya Janata Party in the next assembly polls.

The BPF is in power in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) that runs the administration in four districts of Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts (BTAD).

"Since there is a BJP government at the centre, it is always better for us to support the BJP in the state for the sake of development of BTAD," BPF legislator Rihan Daimary told reporters here.

The BPF has capabilities and strength to sustain as an independent political party, he said.

Bodo said: "We have lent our support to the Congress in 2006, which helped the Congress to form a stable government in the state for five long years.

"We are also thankful to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi as he had continued the friendship and accommodated our representative in the state cabinet despite having a clear majority on their own to form the government in 2011."

"However, the comment of a section of Congress leaders of late that the alliance between the Congress and the BPF should be terminated as they have sufficient numbers is hurting us. We also have an independent ideology and we do not want to be termed as a party which is dependent on others," Bodo said.

Ties between the allies turned bitter since the 2012 violence between the Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslim settlers in BTAD. A section of Congress leaders have alleged the role of BPF leaders in the violence.