Assembly polls in Assam are scheduled next yeareviction
Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the BJP-led NDA would return to power for a third consecutive term in Assam. Referring the party’s grassroots strength and its “uncompromising stand” on infiltration and land encroachment, Mr Shah in a rally of the NDA Panchayat Pratinidhi Sammelan here, took a dig at Congress party over its performance in the recent Assam Panchayat elections, while claiming that the party has been “wiped out” from the state’s grassroots political landscape.
Pointing out that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies had secured a resounding victory in the Panchayat polls, he said that the Congress failed to make its presence felt.
“Assam cannot be represented by people sympathising with infiltrators or encouraging encroachment,” Mr Shah said, in a pointed reference to opposition leaders. “Assam cannot be led by people who visit Pakistan frequently,” he added, without naming but obviously targeting Congress leader.
Asking the panchayat workers to gear up to ensure a similar victory in the forthcoming assembly polls in 2026, Mr Shah said, “When the Assam Panchayat election results came, Congress was wiped out. Even if you use binoculars, you won’t be able to find Congress (in the elections). Such is the victory achieved by you all here.”
The union home minister asserted that the results were a reflection of the people’s trust in the leadership of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the development initiatives undertaken by the BJP government in Assam. He said the mandate clearly indicated that the Congress, once a dominant force in the state, had lost ground at the grassroots level.
Encouraging the panchayat workers to prepare for assembly polls, Mr Shah slammed the leader of the Congress party Gaurav Gogoi for opposing the eviction drive and defending infiltrators. Pointing out that the Assam government had freed over 1,29,548 acres of land from infiltrators, despite resistance from Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, Mr Shah said, “We have restored the sanctity of Vaishnavite monasteries by evicting infiltrators from across Assam.”
