Anup Chetia, ULFA's general secretary, was arrested by Bangladesh police in 1997.
A group of former ULFA militants, led by the outfit's ex-chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, has demanded that Anup Chetia should be a part of the peace talks with the Centre.
Anup Chetia, the former general secretary of United Liberation Front of Asom or ULFA, was recently handed over to Indian authorities by Bangladesh, a country where he spent almost 18 years, some of which were spent in a jail on "charges of trespassing."
The pro-talks faction of the ULFA, informally engaged in peace talks with the Centre's interlocutors for some time now, met Home Minister Rajnath Singh for the first time this May to discuss a proposal that "would protect the political and cultural rights of the indigenous people" of Assam.
The main political demand of the pro-talks faction is to grant Scheduled Tribe status to six indigenous communities including Ahoms.
If agreed, this would ensure that 78 out of the state assembly's 126 seats would be reserved in future elections. But the BJP can hope to reap the benefits almost immediately in April 2016 when the state is expected to go to polls.
The proposal is being viewed in many quarters as an attempt to put a stop to migrant politics where migrant communities are seen as vote banks and are patronised by political parties.
The proposal of the pro-talks faction of the ULFA has found support from both the Congress and the BJP. However, the Centre has asked for a few weeks' time to revert back to work out the modalities if and when Anup Chetia can formally join the peace talks.