The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released the names of 28 candidates for the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, scheduled for September 22.

The elections will be held across the five districts of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) — Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri, and Tamulpur — with the counting of votes set for September 26, as per the Assam State Election Commission.

According to the election schedule, the last date for filing nominations is September 2, scrutiny will take place on September 4, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until September 6.

This year, more than 25.57 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes across 3,359 polling stations. The electorate includes 13.23 lakh male voters, 13.34 lakh female voters, and 17 voters from the “other” category, marking an 11.35% increase from the 2020 BTC elections.

Of the 40 BTC seats, 30 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs), five for non-STs, and five are open. In the 2020 elections, the BJP had formed the administration in alliance with the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL). This year, both parties are contesting separately, along with other major parties such as the Bodoland People’s Party (BPF), Congress, and regional outfits.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who recently addressed around 40 rallies in the BTR, expressed confidence in the BJP’s strong prospects in the elections.