Assam, March 27 (HBTV): As the Lok Sabha elections inches closer, a viral image depicting a politician Benjamin Basumatary sleeping on a pile of INR 500 currency notes. The image has ignited a firestorm of controversy. Basumatary is a prominent member of the Bodoland Territorial Region’s United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL).

The image, circulating widely on social media, has raised questions about the integrity of the UPPL, which is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam. 

Basumatary, who serves as the Village Council Development Committee chairman in Bhairaguri of Udalguri district, has found himself at the center of a political storm after the emergence of the photograph.

The revelation becomes even more damaging considering that the UPPL, aligning itself with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anti-corruption rhetoric, had publicly committed to upholding transparency and accountability in governance.

As critics lambast the UPPL for breaking its own promises and indulging in alleged corrupt practices, supporters of the party are finding themselves grappling for explanations.

In the midst of the Model Code of Conduct being enforced due to the impending Lok Sabha elections, the timing of the scandal could not be more precarious for the UPPL-BJP alliance.

As the controversy continues to unfold, all eyes remain fixed on the UPPL leadership for a response to the backlash.