Assam Tribal Body Calls for Poll Boycott of BJP Over Land Rights and Autonomy Issues

In a significant blow to the ruling party’s outreach in the Northeast, a prominent umbrella organization representing several indigenous tribal communities in Assam has called for a total boycott of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Assembly elections. The body, which wields considerable influence in the autonomous hill districts, announced its decision following what it termed “repeated betrayals” by the state government regarding the implementation of the Sixth Schedule and the protection of ancestral tribal lands from commercial encroachment.The leadership of the tribal collective alleged that despite multiple assurances from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the promised land titles under the Forest Rights Act remain stalled, while private corporations are being granted easier access to resource-rich zones. We are not just voters; we are the original inhabitants whose identity is tied to this soil,” a spokesperson for the group stated, adding that the “Land ATM” policies of the current administration have disproportionately targeted tribal belts

The boycott call has sent ripples through the political landscape, as these communities represent a decisive swing vote in several key constituencies. While the BJP has dispatched senior leaders to initiate damage-control talks, the tribal body has remained firm, demanding written guarantees on greater political autonomy and a complete halt to land acquisitions in protected areas. With polling dates fast approaching, this move by the indigenous leadership threatens to disrupt the NDA’s calculation of a “clean sweep” in the tribal heartlands of Assam.