Won't ally with BPF for Assembly polls: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Finance Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma clarified that the BJP would not be in an alliance with Bodoland People's Front (BPF) for the upcoming assembly polls. Currently, the ruling coalition includes the BJP, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BPF with BJP being the single-largest party in the 126-member Assam house. The BPF has 11 representatives and three ministers in the Sonowal government.

"We have been telling it many times that our alliance with BPF was for five years only and both sides were committed to it. They are still in our government, and it is healthy politics," the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the North-East wing of NDA, said.

For the elections to be conducted in April-May, the BJP has made seat-sharing arrangements with United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and is involved in talks with Lok Sabha MP Naba Sarania-led Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), informed Sarma.

BPF, formed in 2005, is based in Kokrajhar. Its relationship with allying BJP turned bitter after BJP dumped the party for the Bodoland Territorial Council or BTC elections and formed the council government with UPPL and GSP.

Meanwhile, the new regional party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), which has allied with another fresh political outfit Raijor Dal, is in talks with BPF for an alliance.