BPF not to be part of BJP-led NDA in Assam polls: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Feb 14: Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday made it clear that the ruling BJP will not have any alliance with its existing ally Bodoland People's Front (BPF) in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.
In the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), the BJP has already formed an alliance with the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and is currently holding talks with another outfit Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) regarding seat sharing arrangements, Sarma said.
"We have been telling it many times that our alliance with BPF was for five years only and both sides were committed to it. They are still in our government and it is healthy politics," the BJP leader said.
In the BTR, the BJP will have a seat sharing agreement with the UPPL and Lok Sabha MP Naba Sarania-led GSP, Sarma, who is also Convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the NDA version in the north-east, said.
Formed in 2005, BPF is a state political party in Assam with its headquarters in Kokrajhar.
"We have already started negotiations with Sarania and it is moving in the positive direction. We will announce our candidates within 48 hours of announcing poll dates," he added.
BPF's relation with BJP went sour during the latest elections of the 40-member Bodoland Territorial Council, where the saffron party dumped its state ally BPF and formed the council government in alliance with UPPL and GSP.
The BJP is currently the single largest party in the 126-member Assam house with 60 MLAs, while its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BPF now have 13 and 11 lawmakers respectively. The ruling coalition also has the support of an Independent MLA.
The new regional party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), which has formed an alliance with another fresh political outfit Raijor Dal, has recently said that it is talking to the BPF and "it is moving in the positive direction".
The elections to the Assam Assembly are likely in March- April. The 2016 elections gave a fractured mandate and no party got an absolute majority in the current assembly.
The opposition Congress has 19 MLAs at present, while the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has 14 members in the house in Assam.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
