Urkhao Gwra Brahma

Urkhao Gwra Brahma was born on 1 July 1963 in Kokrajhar, Assam. He pursued his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Kokrajhar College under Gauhati University in 1985, and before entering full-time politics, he was involved in literature and grassroots social work within Bodo society.

Brahma’s political career began long before legislative office; he became broadly known as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Assam (2002–2008), representing local regional interests and advocacy. He was a key figure in the movement for better recognition and rights for the Bodo community and was involved with regional political mobilisations that shaped Bodoland politics in the early 2000s.

In 2015, he founded the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and became its president, establishing the party as a major regional force in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), allied with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

In the 2021 Assam Legislative Assembly election, Brahma was elected MLA from Chapaguri (ST) on a UPPL ticket and was appointed Cabinet Minister in the Assam government headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He holds portfolios including Handloom, Textiles & Sericulture, Soil Conservation, and Welfare of Bodoland, working on regional development and traditional industry support. As of 2026, he continues his ministerial service and legislative duties.

Alongside his political career, Brahma is an acclaimed poet in the Bodo language and was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014 for his poetry collection Return from Freedom (udãnnifray gidimbofinnanwi).