BJP’s national President J.P. Nadda said on Monday that the saffron party has been winning all the elections in the country from Jammu and Kashmir to Telangana, and it would return to power in Assam once again with 100 plus seats in the upcoming state Assembly polls due in April-May.
Kick starting the Assembly election campaign for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nadda, while addressing a public rally here, said that the BJP would return to power in Assam as the current dispensation has ensured all-round development of the state in the last five years, ensuring peace and ethnic harmony.
He said that BJP became the single largest party in the recent District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir besides managing excellent results in various elections and by-elections in Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar.
Coming down heavily on the main opposition party, the BJP leader said that during the 15-year rule of Congress in Assam, terrorism devastated the state and 2,155 civilians and 284 security personnel had been killed while over 1,200 people were kidnapped.
“There was no electricity in 51 per cent households and 56 per cent people had no toilets. Out of the 11 crore toilets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned 35 lakh toilets for Assam.
“During the governance of BJP, Assam became 100 per cent ODF (open defecation free). Lakhs of people in Assam have been benefited by central governemnt’s various flagship schemes,” the BJP chief said.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP national Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda, who is in-charge of the party’s Assam affairs, and Assam BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass accompanied Nadda and also addressed the public gathering at the Police Parade Ground in Sinchar.
Expressing his confidence to secure 100 plus seat in the 126-member Assam assembly polls, Nadda said that the state leadership, including Chief Minister Sonowal, Sarma and Dass, have done excellent works for the development of the state and welfare of the people.
He said the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established long lasting peace in Assam and also resolved the decades old Bodo movement by signing the Bodo peace accord last year.
“It is the responsibility of the BJP to safeguard the culture, language and traditions of Assam and the party has always given utmost importance to these vital and basic issues,” the BJP President said, adding that Assam’s language is one of the most vibrant languages.
“The NDA government has given recognition to all the aspects of Assam and established peace by taking forward the development works in all the sectors – health, education, and infrastructure. Rs 22,000 crore has been sanctioned for the Numaligarh Refinery. More than 15 new national highways have been approved and five vital bridges were constructed over the Brahmaputra river,” he said.
Nadda said the BJP-led Central government has also resolved the decades old problems of 36,000 internally displaced Reang tribal refugees who fled from Mizoram to Tripura in 1997 after ethnic troubles.
Political observers said that for the past many years, the BJP has carved out a political base in southern Assam’s Barak Valley region, comprising three Bengali dominated districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj.
In the coming polls, the party aims to win all the 15 seats in Barak Valley. That’s why the BJP national President would start his election campaign from there, political commentator and writer Uttam Saha told IANS.
Panda, who is in-charge of BJP’s Assam affairs, told the media in Guwahati that the party is confident of securing 100 plus seats along with its allies in the Assam elections.
“The BJP along with its allies will retain power in Assam by securing at least 100 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections,” Panda said.
The 126-member Assam Assembly is likely to go to the polls in April-May, along West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
