The National Democratic Alliance has finalised a seat-sharing arrangement for the Assam Assembly elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated. He said an agreement on seat distribution has been concluded between the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Asom Gana Parishad, and the Bodoland People’s Front.
The formula received final approval at a meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee held in New Delhi, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The committee has also approved a list of 89 candidates for Assam, and the names are expected to be announced shortly.
Himanta Biswa Sarma said the United People’s Party Liberal is no longer part of the National Democratic Alliance, while the Bodoland People’s Front will remain in the alliance. He noted that the United People’s Party Liberal and the Bodoland People’s Front are rival parties in the Bodoland Territorial Council region, which comprises 15 Assembly seats. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said the United People’s Party Liberal will contest 15 seats.
He added that the alliance will continue with the Bodoland People’s Front. The United People’s Party Liberal had earlier been part of the BJP-led coalition government, while the Bodoland People’s Front extended support later. The Bodoland People’s Front was also part of the BJP-led coalition government in 2016 and had previously been an ally of Congress-led governments from 2006.
Polling for the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly will be held on April 9, and counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. Following the completion of the seat-sharing process, the National Democratic Alliance is expected to announce all its candidates soon.
Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Asom Gana Parishad will contest 26 seats, the same number as in the previous Assembly elections, while the Bodoland People’s Front has been allocated 11 seats under the arrangement. He said the names of the seats may be announced after the parliamentary party meeting later in the day.
No candidates have yet been announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Asom Gana Parishad, or the Bodoland People’s Front, as the parties were finalising their respective strategies.
