Mugdha Das

Assam: Public holiday in BTR on Sept 22 for BTC polls

Digital Desk: The Assam government has declared a public holiday on September 22 in all five districts of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) to facilitate smooth conduct of the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections

The holiday, issued under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act, will apply to all government and non-government offices, educational institutions, business establishments, banks, and tea gardens located within the BTR jurisdiction.

Polling for the 40-member council will take place on September 22, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, while counting of votes is scheduled for September 26 starting at 8:00 am.

The election process will conclude by September 28.

The BTC election process formally began with the announcement of the polls on August 26, and the final date for withdrawal of nominations is set for September 6.

The BTR comprises of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri, and Tamulpur districts.

A total of 26,57,937 voters are eligible to cast their votes in this election — including 13,23,399 males, 13,34,521 females, and 17 individuals of the third gender.

Of the 40 BTC seats, 30 are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, five for non-ST candidates, and the remaining five are open to all.

Currently, the BTC is governed by a coalition of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Gana Suraksha Party (GSP). However, the BJP has decided to contest the elections independently this time. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is actively campaigning for the party across the BTR.