In the 13th North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) elections in Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a sweeping victory by winning 25 out of the 28 seats. Among the three independent candidates who won seats, two were rebel BJP candidates. The Congress, which had secured two seats in the 2019 autonomous council elections, did not win any seats in this election. The Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), BJP's ally in the Assam Assembly, also faced defeats.
Before the election, BJP candidates had won six of the council's 28 seats without facing any opposition. The remaining 22 seats went to polls on January 8, with around 70% of the 1,41,124 voters casting their ballots, as per the State Election Commission. Despite the peaceful conduct of the election, the Trinamool Congress claimed that the BJP prevented voters from exercising their right to vote.
Debolal Garlosa, a BJP candidate, is expected to become the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the autonomous council. The BJP had also fielded some surrendered insurgents, emphasizing their integration into mainstream society.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, during the campaign, highlighted the impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies on the lives of those in the council. Garlosa attributed the BJP's success to Modi's development programs and Sarma's leadership.
While the Trinamool Congress expressed satisfaction with the votes they received, stating it as a positive development and a fresh start, the Congress party did not secure second place in any of the 22 seats, while the Trinamool Congress claimed second place in eight out of eleven seats in the council.
(With Agency Inputs)
ALSO READ | To achieve its 20-plus target in northeast, BJP to go all out in Assam
ALSO READ | Assamese 'indigenous' people are safeguarded through delimitation: Himanta
