Her brother Paresh Baruah—self-styled Commander-in-Chief of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)—is fighting a war against India for attaining a long-cherished dream of a “sovereign” Assam. But that did not deter Hirawati Baruah Chetia from taking part in an election under the aegis of the Indian Constitution that her rebel brother does not recognise.Hirawati not only contested the just concluded panchayat elections, but was successful in becoming a member of the Panitola-Barhola Anchalik Panchayat in the industrial district of Tinsukia inUpper Assam . She had contested the elections as a nominee of the AGP. “I contested the elections to work for the people and the development of our area,” she is quoted as having said to a local newspaper. She could not be contacted from Guwahati. But what makes things more interesting is that while Hirawati, sister of the most important ULFA leader, contested and won an election held under provisions of the Constitution of India, her mother Miliki Baruah also cast her vote in the panchayat elections in her native village Jerai Chakalibhoriya in Dibrugarh district. The ULFA leader’s mother had cast her vote during the 2006 Assembly elections too.Hirawati’s other brother, Bimal Baruah, is employed at the Army’s supply depot at Panitola. Another brother Pradip Baruah is employed with the 2nd Mountain Division of the Indian Army and her husband Uma Kanta Chetia has just retired from the CRPF. The Congress hold in panchayats has dwindled considerably, with parties like AGP, BJP and AUDF making significant dents into its strongholds.While the Congress has captured over 8,000 posts, the AGP has won in over 3,000 posts. The AUDF, which, as a new entrant had almost unseated the Congress in the 2006 Assembly polls by cutting into its traditional vote bank, has also made significant inroads into the Congress base in the panchayat elections. It has so far won in over 1,400 seats, results for which were declared till Wednesday evening.
