Fragmented Identity, Saffron Strategy: Navigating the Bharatiya Janata Party's Ascendance in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of Assam
- AIOR Admin
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
Bikash Dihingia, Chuchengfa Gogoi, Pankaj Kumar Sarmah
North Lakhimpur University (India), Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University (India)
The unprecedented rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2020 election to the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), erstwhile Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) of Assam, marked a significant development in the region's political landscape, which is historically dominated by the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), an ethnic political party representing the Bodos. For decades, the BPF exercised near-hegemonic control over the BTC, shaping governance structures and political dialogue through an ethnic-centric approach. The fourth BTR election disrupted this established order and brought in a more competitive and pluralistic political environment. The shift from single-party dominance to an emerging multi-party system not only reconfigured electoral alignments but also contested the institutional and ideological bases of BPF’s authority. This study thoroughly examines the growing dynamics of electoral politics in the BTR, positioning the 2020 election as a decisive departure from conventional patterns of political mobilisation and voter behaviour. It also explores how changing socio-political conditions, including internal differentiations within the Bodo community, generated new opportunities for political contestation. Particular attention is given to the BJP’s strategic interventions, especially its capacity to leverage fragmented ethnic identities and integrate them within a wider electoral framework. Through this analysis, the study intends to advance understanding of shifting political narratives, party competition, and identity negotiations in contemporary Bodoland.
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