In the 2020 BTC election, 6 out BJP’s 9 winning candidates are non-Bodo.
This is similar to the BJP’s strategy in states like Haryana where it mobilised smaller communities against the dominant caste group and trying to make inroads in that group through an ally.
In the Assembly election, four out of 12 seats will see BJP vs BPF contests and in three of these seats – Bijni, Kalaigaon and Majbat – BJP has put up non-Bodo candidates. In the fourth seat – Panery – the party has fielded BPF turncoat Biswajit Daimary.
However, this consolidation of non-Bodo votes is easier said than done for the BJP.
Mohilary has a reasonably decent following among non-Bodos. The BPF includes several Bengali Hindu, Muslim, Assamese, North Indian, tea tribe and even Marwari members. This is unlike the UPPL which is much more Bodo dominated and largely dependent on BJP for non-Bodo…