Left in the cold, a BJP ally in Assam decides it has had enough

The United People’s Party Liberal had been increasingly sidelined in the NDA alliance after the rapid ascent of its rival, the Bodoland People’s Front.

Cast off by the BJP in favour of its rival, United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) chief and Rajya Sabha MP-elect Pramod Boro has entered the assembly election arena as a candidate for the Assam Assembly polls – outside of the NDA fold.

The move, which virtually ends the alliance between the UPPL and the BJP, comes after the saffron party tied up with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).

On Monday night, before the BPF and the BJP issued their candidate lists, the UPPL released a first list of seven candidates, including Pramod Boro from the Udalguri constituency and Dipen Boro, who had just resigned from his position as president of the All Bodo Students’ Union days ago, from the Udalguri constituency.

This will be Pramod Boro’s first assembly election.

UPPL, a Bodoland-based party, has been in a peculiar position for the last few months.

It has been a firm ally of the BJP since 2020, and the two parties formed the Bodoland Territorial Council together in 2020.

This was despite the BPF being the single largest party in the council.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the UPPL won a Lok Sabha seat, contesting as a joint front with the BJP.

But it rapidly found itself out of favour a few months ago, when the BPF swept the Bodoland Territorial Council elections, wresting control from the UPPL-BJP combine.

Noting its dominance, the BJP dispensation rushed to join hands with the BPF and quickly made it a part of the state government by inducting one of its MLAs, Charan Boro, into the cabinet.

Since then, the UPPL has been left out of seat-sharing talks with the NDA for the upcoming elections, and BJP leaders have made vague statements on numerous occasions about “ideally” wanting both BPF and UPPL to remain its partners, even while engaging in alliance talks only with the BPF.

At the same time, when UPPL head and former BTC chief filed his nomination unopposed earlier this month for one of three Rajya Sabha seats from Assam that had opened up, he was projected by BJP leaders as an NDA “colleague.”
Amid this murky messaging and with assembly polls around the corner, UPPL General Secretary Raju Narzary shot off an unusual letter to BJP Assam President Dilip Saikia on March 10, seeking to know his party’s “status in the NDA” before the Assam assembly election.

“Given the recent political development in the state of Assam, especially statements in the media by different BJP leadership, the Core Committee of UPPL has decided to seek formal status on NDA alliance for the ensuing Assam Assembly election,” he wrote.

Narzary told The Indian Express that he never heard back from the BJP, but insisted there was no confusion on this matter on the part of the UPPL.

“Right from the day that the BTC election was over, we understood and said that we would go solo in the assembly election.

But since we were part of the NDA from 2021 to 2026, we had the moral right to know about our status in the NDA.

Now with the declaration of the election on Sunday, I can say that our commitment to the alliance is complete,” he said.

He said that the party will release a second list on Tuesday.

On his part, BJP Assam president Saikia said on Monday that he was not in a position to take a call on the party’s relationship with the UPPL.

Responding to media queries, he had said, “The decision on friendship can be given by the central leadership.

I have explained this to them (UPPL).

I cannot say whether it is there, even though we want it to be there.”
Sukrita Baruah is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Guwahati.

From this strategic hub, she provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of India's North East, a region characterized by its complex ethnic diversity, geopolitical significance, and unique developmental challenges.

Expertise and Experience
Ethnic & Social Dynamics: Deep-dive coverage of regional conflicts (such as the crisis in Manipur) and peace-building efforts.

Border & Geopolitics: Tracking developments along India’s international borders and their impact on local communities.

Governance & Policy: Reporting on state elections, tribal council decisions, and the implementation of central schemes in the North East.

Specialized Education Background: Prior to her current role, Sukrita was a dedicated Education Correspondent for The Indian Express in Delhi.

This experience provided her with a sharp analytical lens for:
Policy Analysis: Evaluating the National Education Policy (NEP) and university-level reforms.

Student Affairs: Covering high-stakes stories regarding campus politics, national entrance exams, and the challenges within the primary and secondary education sectors.

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