BTC elections 2025: Kokrajhar bans carrying of licensed arms to ensure peaceful polls

In the run-up to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections scheduled for September 22, the District Magistrate of Kokrajhar has ordered a temporary ban on carrying licensed firearms across the district.

The order, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 1973, came into force on August 28 and will remain effective until the completion of the electoral process.

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The directive makes exceptions for police personnel, army and paramilitary forces deployed on election duty, and sportspersons associated with the National Rifle Association who require rifles for competitive purposes. Such exemptions, however, are contingent on the production of valid supporting documents.

The administration stated that the measure was essential to prevent any disruption to law and order, safeguard public peace, and ensure the smooth and fair conduct of the BTC polls.

The order, issued ex-parte, further allows individuals who are directly affected to apply for rescinding, alteration, modification, or exemption during the enforcement period.

The decision comes against the backdrop of heightened security concerns in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), which has historically witnessed political unrest and episodes of ethnic tension.

Past elections in the region have often been accompanied by fears of violence, prompting authorities to take precautionary steps.

The BTC, created under the Bodo Accord of 2003, is an autonomous body that governs the Bodo-dominated areas of Assam. Its elections are a crucial test of political equations in the state, with both regional parties and national players like the BJP and Congress vying for influence in the council.

In recent years, the BTC has also become a barometer of Bodo political aspirations, especially after the signing of the third Bodo Accord in 2020, which sought to bring militant groups into the democratic fold and promised greater autonomy.