Campaigning for the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election ended today on a surprisingly quiet note, as all political parties in the region cancelled their planned events to mourn the death of the celebrated singer and youth icon, Zubeen Garg. His sudden passing has left Assam in a state of shock.
At the close of the campaign, Pramod Boro, the president of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and BTC's chief executive member, shared his deep sadness over the loss.
"We have been going through a very difficult and sad time since yesterday," Boro said. "On behalf of our party, the UPPL, we are holding a service of remembrance across 40 districts this evening. While tributes were offered informally in many places yesterday, today we will formally participate and pray for the eternal peace of his soul. I will be in Kokrajhar, waiting for his final return to pay our last respects in his home state of Assam."
Boro also spoke of Garg's contributions to the Bodo community, saying, "Zubeen Da played a significant role in promoting Bodo culture and lent his voice to several of our songs. In the coming days, we will introduce new initiatives in his memory."
Briefly touching on his party's time in power and the upcoming elections on 22 September, Boro stated, "The people of Bodoland gave us the responsibility to serve for five years. Many projects have been completed and several are currently underway. We have worked on welfare initiatives that were earlier ignored by other governments. I extend my sincere gratitude to the people of Bodoland for allowing five years of peace, harmony, and development. We remain committed to working together in the years ahead."
The end of the campaign, which is usually characterised by rallies, passionate speeches, and political attacks, instead unfolded in a sombre atmosphere of mourning, with leaders and supporters coming together to pay tribute to the singer whose voice crossed boundaries.
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