BTC Polls: In massive upset, UPPL's B R Ferenga defeats BPF's Dy Chief Khampa Borgoyari in Chirangduar

CHIRANG: In a massive election upset, United People's Party Liberal candidate B R Ferenga has defeated the incumbent, Bodoland People's Front candidate Khampa Borgoyari, in Chirangduar Constituency.

People have understood how the BPF party was ruling with corruption and how they were depriving the people of their rights. I am thankful to the people who voted for me and am willing to sacrifice 5 years," the UPPL candidate Ferenga, one of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland leaders who surrendered earlier this year, stated after winning.

He then went on to claim that his opponent was trying to influence the people by distributing money and liquors. "However, the people understood that money is not the main factor in deciding elections and said that they would not be cowed down ever again," he stated.

READ MORE: Inside Northeast Exit Polls: BTC Election 2020

Ferenga also stated that it is easier to transform society through ballots instead of bullets. "After spending 8 years in the jungles as an insurgent, I realized that it is easier to work for the common good through ballots instead of adopting violent measures," he said.

The election assumes significance as it is the first election in BTAD after the signing of the Bodo peace accord and the formation of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) earlier this year.

Over 78 percent voter turnout was recorded on Thursday in Bodo Territorial Council’s (BTC) second and final phase of polling, which witnessed police firing in the air to control a clash between BPF and UPPL supporters in Chirang district of Assam. Till the closing of polls at 4.30 pm, 78.80 per cent of 10,23,404 voters exercised their franchise, deciding the fate of 111 candidates for 19 constituencies spread across Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.

The much-awaited voting for the BTC began on December 7 with over 77.01 per cent voters exercising their franchise in the first phase of polling for 21 seats in Udalguri and Baksa districts, where 130 candidates have contested. Out of the total 3,164 polling booths in the four districts, the authorities marked 606 as very sensitive and 1,266 as sensitive, and arranged tight security measures in those.

A total of 23,87,422 voters in the two phases exercised their franchise to elect their representatives for the local council, formed in 2003 and elections being held since 2005.

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