GUWAHATI : Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to start BJP’s BTC poll campaign on August 2BJP to contest 38 out of 40 BTC seats, respecting two Bodo leaders by not contesting their seatsUnion Minister Sonowal and State BJP President Saikia will address public rallies

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will launch the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign for the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections on August 2, starting with public rallies in Udalguri district. The polls are expected to take place in September.

This election marks a shift in strategy for the BJP, which will contest the BTC elections independently, unlike in 2020 when it partnered with the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) to form the council government.

“BJP will contest in the upcoming BTC election alone and the party’s preparations are in full swing,” said Kishore Upadhyay, Chief Spokesperson of Assam State BJP.

Sarma is scheduled to campaign across all 40 BTC constituencies. However, BJP plans to field candidates in 38 of them, intentionally staying out of two seats. “By giving respect to two Bodo leaders Pramod Boro and former BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary, we will not contest in two seats,” Upadhyay said.

Apart from CM Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and State BJP President Dilip Saikia are also expected to address voters during the campaign trail.

The decision to go solo was finalised at a recent high-level strategy meeting held at the state BJP headquarters in Guwahati. The move underscores the party’s growing confidence and its intent to strengthen its base in the Bodoland region.

The Assam State Election Commission recently published the draft electoral rolls for the 40 BTC constituencies, listing a total of 26,69,396 voters 13,29,742 male, 13,39,637 female, and 17 others. The region will see voting at 3,277 polling stations.

The BTC plays a key role in administering the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), which covers four districts Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang, and Udalguri and is home to a large Bodo population. Political observers see the BTC elections as a crucial test for all regional players ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.