Any alliance will need BPF to form govt. in Assam, says Hagrama Mohilary

Hagrama Mohilary, a former extremist leader who headed the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) for 17 years, said his regional party, the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) would be crucial for any of the three alliances – one led by the ruling BJP, the other by Congress and the third of two new regional parties – to form the next government in Assam. Reflecting on what went wrong with his party’s friendship with the BJP, he asserted that the BPF would be no pushover in the Bodoland Territorial Region despite the BJP tying up with rival United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL). Excerpts from the interview: