BJP Chief J.P. Nadda on Saturday discussed the formation of the new BJP government in Assam with current Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma…reports Asian Lite News
A week after the assembly poll result, the Assam BJP MLAs are likely to meet on Sunday in Guwahati to choose the new Chief Minister of the state.
BJP Chief J.P. Nadda on Saturday discussed the formation of the new BJP government in Assam with current Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at his resident in the national capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present in the meeting.
After the meeting, Sarma said, “Assam BJP Legislature Party will probably meet tomorrow in Guwahati. You will get all the answers after the Legislature Party meeting.”
Earlier, Sonowal and Sarma along with some other leaders from Assam reached Delhi to discuss the formation of the new government in the state.
The BJP won the Assam Assembly polls for a second consecutive term of which results were announced on May 2.
Both Sonowal and Sarma are seen as probable candidate for the Chief Minister’s post.
Nadda first held a discussion with Sarma and Sonowal separately and then with both of them together.
The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the assembly polls in Assam. The BJP had won 60 seats and its alliance partners AGP nine and UPPL six seats in 126-member Assam Assembly.
Himanta Biswa Sarma (Twitter)
Earlier, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday reached the national capital to discuss the leadership issue with the party chief.
The saffron party this time did not call its parliamentary board meeting after declaration of Assembly poll results, which normally takes a call on who will be the Chief Minister of a state.
Sarma, a former Congress leader who joined BJP in 2015, had played an important and crucial role in BJP’s victory in 2016 and 2021.
Sarma has become one of the most prominent face of the party in the state and whole of the North East region. He is also the convener of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and is considered to be the party’s main political brain in the area.
On the other hand, Sonowal had successfully run the first BJP government for five years in Assam.
No Muslim member in Assam treasury bench, opposition has 31
In this year’s elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party put up eight Muslim candidates, the Congress fielded 17…reports Asian Lite News
For the first time in 50 years, the treasury bench of the 126-member new Assam Assembly will not have any Muslim member even as 31 members from the community, the second-highest in 38 years, have been elected in the recently concluded elections.
In this year’s elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party put up eight Muslim candidates, the Congress fielded 17, while the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) nominated 19 Muslims and a Hindu candidate.
Of the 31 Muslims elected to the new House, the second-highest after the controversial 1983 elections during the height of the Assam agitation, 16 are from the Congress and 15 from the AIUDF.
Karim Uddin Barbhuiya(Twitter)
In the outgoing House, the NDA comprising BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), had 86 members with Aminul Haque Laskar being the Muslim representative.
Laskar, 55, who was the Deputy Speaker in the Assembly, could not retain his Sonai seat in the Bengali-dominated Barak Valley where he was defeated by Karim Uddin Barbhuiya of AIUDF by a margin of 19,654 votes.
The AIUDF was one of the main allies of the Congress-led 10-party ‘Mahajot’ (grand alliance) that won 50 seats against the 75 seats won by the BJP led alliance. Jailed anti-CAA activist and prominent peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, the president of the newly floated Raijor Dal, won the remaining seat from Sibsagar as an Independent candidate.
Congress paid the price of pact with AIUDF in Assam
The Congress and the AIUDF won 29 and 16 seats, respectively, improving their 2016 performance by three seats each.
Other partners of the Mahajot, BPF got four seats while the CPI-M won one seat.
Apart from 1983, the number of Muslim members in the Assembly has usually hovered around the 25-mark.
According to political analysts and commentators, the alliance with the AIUDF shattered Congress’ dream to capture power in Assam, though the grand old party performed better this time as compared to 2016, when it was defeated by the BJP after 15 years.
Political observers categorically said that the Congress paid the price for the coalition with the Muslim-based body, AIUDF, in Assam.
Aminul Haque Laskar(Twitter)
The BJP and few other non-BJP parties had accused the AIUDF and its leadership of patronising “illegal immigrants” and most Assamese people had accepted the logic, they said.
According to Census 2011, Muslims account for 34.22 per cent population in the state, while Hindus and other religions account for the rest of the 3.12 crore total population of Assam.
Of the 126 Assembly seats, religious minorities decide the electoral fate in 23 seats, mostly in western and southern Assam, and play a crucial role in about seven more Assembly seats in different districts.
Of Assam’s 34 districts, 12 per cent or more Muslim population resides in 19 districts and in six districts the Muslim population constitutes 50 per cent or more.
Congress paid the price of pact with AIUDF in Assam
Political analysts categorically said that the Congress paid the price for the coalition with the Muslim-based body, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), in Assam…reports Asian Lite News
The alliance with the AIUDF shattered Congress dream to capture power in Assam, though the grand old party performed better this time as compared to 2016, when it was defeated by the BJP after 15 years, experts and political commentators feel.
Political analysts categorically said that the Congress paid the price for the coalition with the Muslim-based body, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), in Assam.
Social activist and political commentator Ajoy Kumar Dutta said that the Congress tried to win the hearts of the people in Assam using the sentiments against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, but the Assamese and the indigenous people of the state could not accept the alliance with the AIUDF, led by perfume baron and Lok Sabha member Badruddin Ajmal.
Badruddin Ajmal(Twitter)
Dutta, a Padma Shri awardee said: “Every action has an equal reaction. Once three-time Assam Chief Minister late Tarun Gogoi had said ‘who is Ajmal’, but after his death, his party allied with it. People feared that if the Congress came to power in Assam, it would be controlled by Ajmal’s AIUDF.”
The BJP and few other non-BJP parties had accused the AIUDF and its leadership of patronising “illegal immigrants” and most Assamese people had accepted the logic.
The BJP fought the 2016 Assembly polls with the slogan of “‘jati, mati, bheti’ (identity, land and homestead) and succeeded. This time, the saffron party campaigned for the protection of Assamese civilisation and traditional culture and again it achieved its goal.
Congress.
Except Bengali dominated southern Assam, the Congress-led ‘Mahajot’ (Grand Alliance) performed poorly in most parts of the state, especially in eastern Assam, known as the Assamese heartland.
Of the 15 seats in southern Assam’s Barak Valley comprising three districts — Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi — the Mahajot either won or is leading in 11 seats with the BJP and its ally ahead in four seats.
In the 2016 Assembly elections in Barak Valley, the BJP had won eight seats while the Congress had bagged seven seats.
Political commentator Sushanta Talukdar said that considering the AIUDF’s track record and role, the people of Assam could not accept the Congress’ alliance with the party, which is soft towards the “infiltrators and illegal migrants”.
“Most Assamese and indigenous people thought that the AIUDF is more dangerous than the CAA. So despite not support the new citizenship act, they could not accept the Congress’ stand to ally with Ajmal’s party,” Talukdar said.
Nagaon Election District, gearing up for the counting of votes(Twitter)
The results of the elections to the 126-member Assam assembly clearly indicate that the BJP has caused a permanent dent in the erstwhile traditional Congress stronghold among the tribals, lakhs of tea garden workers and the indigenous people.
It is also understandable that the saffron party’s inroad into this Congress bastion in 2016 was not a temporary phenomenon.
During the campaign, the BJP highlighted the “perfect NRC (National Register of Citizens)” while the Congress gave top priority to the CAA, even as both the national parties had common issues of empowerment of women, jobs to the youth and protecting the Assamese traditional culture.
The Congress had promised ‘Five Guarantees’ to the voters in its manifesto, including restarting the process of NRC; repealing the CAA; Rs 365 daily wage to 10 lakh tea garden workers; 5 lakh jobs in five years; Rs 2,000 per month to housewives and 200-unit free electricity per household.
Elected MLAs of INC Assam(TWITTER)
The BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ also promises to control floods in Assam, empower the women under the state’s flagship scheme ‘Orunodoi’, and increase the monthly payment of Rs 830 to Rs 3,000 covering 30 lakh deserving families.
The AIUDF, which won 13 seats in the 2016 Assembly polls, has won five seats this time besides leading in 10 seats, while the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), which had bagged 12 seats five years ago, has won one seat this time and is leading in two seats in the Bodoland areas of western Assam.
According to the latest tally of the Election Commission, of the total of 126 seats, the BJP has so far won 27 and is leading on 32 seats, while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) won six seats and is leading on four seats. The United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) has won four seats and is leading on two seats.
The Congress has won eight seats and is leading on 23 seats, while its ally CPI-M is leading on one seat.
Raijor Dal (RD) President and jailed leader Akhil Gogoi, who is contesting from the Sibasagar constituency as an Independent candidate, is also leading.
The BJP had won 60 seats in the previous Assembly elections in 2016 while its ally AGP had managed 14 seats. The Congress had secured 26 seats while one seat went to an Independent candidate.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and AGP chief and minister Atul Bora are leading from Majuli, Jalukbari and Bokakhat seats respectively…reports Asian Lite News.
BJP is on great relief as the party is getting a good lead-in Assam ahead of the 2021 Assembly election counting is in progress. The ruling BJP-led NDA is leading on 39 seats, while the Grand Alliance led by the Congress is ahead on eight assembly constituencies, elections officials said on Sunday.
According to the Election Commission’s initial trends of the results, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is leading on 27 seats while its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on six seats and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) on six.
The Congress has established initial leads only on five seats while its partners Bodoland Peoples Front on two seats and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on one seat.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and AGP chief and minister Atul Bora are leading from Majuli, Jalukbari and Bokakhat seats respectively.
Congress Legislative Party leader and his deputy Debabrata Saikia and Rakibul Hussain both are trailing from Nazira and Samaguri respectively.
The counting of votes for 126 Assembly seats in Assam for which polling was held in three phases began on Sunday morning in 34 districts amid tight security measures and all Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Assam Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nitin Khade said counting of votes are being held in 50 Election Districts (34 administrative districts) and there are three tiers of security put in place in and around the counting centres and adjoining areas.
“To maintain Covid protocols and guidelines issued by the Election Commission, numbers of counting halls have been increased by 131 per cent — from 143 in 2016 Assembly election to 331 this time,” the CEO said.
In all, 946 candidates including 74 female candidates of different political parties including BJP and Congress contested the elections.
Sunday’s polling outcome would decide the electoral fate of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Majuli), BJP’s northeast region points man and Finance, Health, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (Jalukbari), Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami (Jorhat), ruling BJP’s state President Ranjeet Kumar Dass (Patacharkuchi), Congress President Ripun Bora (Gohpur), party’s Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia (Nazira), Asom Gana Parishad chief and minister Atul Bora (Bokakhat), jailed Raijor Dal President and prominent peasant leader Akhil Gogoi (Sibsagar) and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Duliajan).
As per the exit poll, the Congress-led 10-party ‘Mahajot’ (grand alliance) will get 48.8 percent votes, while the NDA will get 42.9 percent and others 8.3 percent…reports Asian Lite News.
Assam is heading for a photo-finish in the Assembly elections with the UPA looking poised to close the gap with the ruling NDA.
As per the CVoter Exit Poll for Times Now/ABP News, the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would win 65 seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly, just one more than the majority mark of 64, with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) closely following on its heels with 59 seats.
The projected seats are 53 to 66 for the UPA and 58 to 71 for the NDA.
The UPA will gain 33 seats with its biggest gain in lower Assam with 12 seats and 9 seats in the Barak Valley. The UPA will get 22 seats in lower Assam, while it will loose one seat in the hills.
As per the exit poll, the Congress-led 10-party ‘Mahajot’ (grand alliance) will get 48.8 per cent votes, while the NDA will get 42.9 per cent and others 8.3 per cent.
There is a 17.8 per cent vote swing in favour of the UPA, and 1.4 per cent swing in favour of the NDA. In 2016, the UPA had got 31 per cent votes, while the NDA managed 41.5 per cent votes and 27.5 per cent.
The NDA is set to loose 21 seats with highest loss of 7 seats in lower Assam and Barak Valley.
In the Bodoland the NDA is set to win 10 seats, while in the tea estate areas it is poised to win 29 seats, repeating its 2016 performance.
The 126-member Assam Assembly may see a hung Assembly and Independents and others will be the key players in such a scenario.
Assam went to polls in three phases and the counting will take place on May 2.
The voters comprising men, women and the first time electorates, in large numbers queued up in front of the polling stations well before they opened at 7 a.m…reports Asian Lite News.
As it is the day of democracy for some states in India, over 61 per cent voters have exercised their franchise till 2 p.m. in the third and final phase of the Assam Assembly polls, conducted in 40 constituencies amid tight security, according to election officials.
Tuesday’s balloting would decide the fate of 337 candidates, including 25 women aspirants.
All Covid-19 protocols for the voters including social distancing and thermal screening are being maintained.
Election officials said that no untoward incident was reported from anywhere of the 12 western Assam districts, bordering Bhutan, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh, where balloting is underway peacefully and smoothly.
The voters comprising men, women and the first time electorates, in large numbers queued up in front of the polling stations well before they opened at 7 a.m.
Polling officials checking Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) to a distribution center in Uluberia for Assembly polls in West Bengal. (PIB)
The polling would continue till 6 p.m. without any break as the Election Commission has extended an hour in view of the Covid-19 induced situations.
According to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer Nitin Khade, a total of 79,19,641 voters, including 39,07,963 women electorates, are eligible to cast their ballots across 9,587 polling stations in 6,107 locations.
Of the 9,587 polling stations, 316 are all women managed polling stations.
Khade told the media that around 32,000 Central Armed Police Forces, along with thousands of state security force personnel, have been deployed to maintain law and order during this phase in which 45,604 polling personnel were engaged to conduct the polls.
Tuesday’s electoral battle is crucial for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress as both the parties won 11 seats each in the 2016 Assembly polls.
The BJP’s ally Asom Gana Parishad had bagged four seats, while the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) secured eight and six seats, respectively.
Both the BPF and the AIUDF this time are part of the Congress-led ‘Mahajot’ (grand alliance).
In the last elections, the BPF was with the BJP and the AIUDF fought independently.
Tuesday’s polling would also decide the fate of incumbent Finance, Health, Education, PWD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the ruling party’s state President Ranjeet Kumar Dass.
Sarma, convener of the BJP backed anti-Congress body North East Democratic Alliance, is contesting from the Jalukbari seat from where he has consecutively won since 2001.
Meanwhile, Dass is contesting from the Patacharkuchi seat. In the 2016 elections, he was elected to the Assembly from the Sorbhog constituency.
Nearly 81 per cent of the 73,44,631 voters exercised their franchise in the second phase across 39 constituencies on April 1.
Around 80 per cent of 81,09,815 voters cast their votes on March 27 in the first phase in 47 constituencies.
Gandhi, in previous election rallies in Assam, had alleged that the “Nagpur Army” was controlling the nation, drawing criticism from several BJP leaders including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari….reports Asian Lite News
Keeping up his attack on the RSS and the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday reiterated that Assam would not be governed from Nagpur and Delhi as only Assam’s people are entitled to run the state.
Gandhi, in previous election rallies in Assam, had alleged that the “Nagpur Army” was controlling the nation, drawing criticism from several BJP leaders including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
“The BJP-led Central government has already ruined the Indian economy and distressed the people across the country by introducing GST (Goods and Services Tax) and demonetisation, and now it is trying to further dent the rural economy by trying to introduce the three farm laws,” Gandhi said while addressing election rallies in Kamrup and Nalbari districts.
He claimed that there was maximum unemployment in Assam and the “Notebandi” (demonetisation) and the GST led to further deterioration in the scope for employment while the government is giving huge economic relief to the billionaires.
He alleged that the BJP government has been giving the country’s valuable assets like airports, tea gardens and the oil fields to their friends.
“In each state, the BJP ‘aag lagati hai’ (spreads hatred)…. Their only aim to take away your assets to give them to their own men,” he said, asserting that Assam’s resources and wealth must be utilised for the benefit of the Assamese.
MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari
For the Assam Assembly elections, the Congress, which was in power in the state for 15 years (2001-2016), has given “five guarantees” to be fulfilled if the party came to power.
These include five lakh government jobs to youths in five years, upto 200 units of free electricity per household, Rs 365 daily wage to tea garden workers and Rs 2,000 per month to housewives besides a guarantee not to implement the CAA in the state.
Gandhi said that these guarantees were finalised after taking the opinions from various sections of people including tea garden workers, youths and women.
“I haven’t come here to lie or to give you the false promises. My name is not Narendra Modi. If you wish Modi’s lies about farmers, about unemployment or any other issue, watch the television. Modi lies for the Indians for 24 hours. If you want to listen to the truth, please hear me,” he claimed.
Saying that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act would not be implemented at any cost, the Congress leader said that when the youths in Assam protested against the act, police of the BJP government fired and killed them.
Gandhi was supposed to campaign in Assam on Tuesday but could not reach the state due to bad weather and instead released a video appealing the voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the 10-party ‘Mahajot’ (Grand Alliance), led by the Congress.
The number of voters for every booth has been brought down to a maximum of a thousand to avoid crowding, reports Asian Lite News
Around 26 per cent voters have cast their ballots so far on Saturday in the first phase of the Assam Assembly polls which is underway amid heavy security in 47 constituencies, according to election officials.
Saturday’s voting is being held in the Assamese heartland comprising the south and north banks of the Brahmaputra river.
After casting his vote at a school in Dibrugarh, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is contesting from Majuli, told the media that that Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp) would get more than 100 seats in the 126-member Assembly.
The first phase of polling will decide the fate of 264 candidates.
Besides Sonowal, the other prominent faces in the fray are state Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami (Jorhat), state Congress chief Ripun Bora (Gohpur), Asom Gana Parishad chief Atul Bora (Bokakhat), Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia (Nazira), jailed Raijor Dal President Akhil Gogoi (Sivasagar) and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Duliajan).
At least 23 female aspirants are also contesting these elections.
Voting began across 11,537 polling stations mostly covering the eastern Assam’s 12 districts at 7 a.m.
It will continue till 6 p.m as the Election Commission extended the time by an hour in view of the Covid-19 induced situations.
A total of 8,109,815 voters, including 4,032,481 females, are eligible to cast their ballots.
Covid-19 protocols for the voters, including social distancing and thermal screening, are being maintained.
Election officials said that to avoid crowding, the number of voters for every booth has been brought down to a maximum of a thousand.
As a result, the number of polling booths has been augmented by 34.71 per cent to 33,530 from 24,890 in 2016.
To avoid direct contact with the Electronic Voting Machine, every elector is being given a hand glove.
In the 2016 elections, the ruling BJP-led alliance secured 35 of the 47 seats, while the Congress won nine and the remaining three seats by other parties.
According to the election officials, over 30,000 Central Armed Police Forces along with thousands of state security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order during this phase.
No untoward incident has been reported so far from any of the 12 districts where balloting is underway.
In a unique gesture, the election officials donated saplings to the voters in the model polling stations, which were decorated with colourful balloons.
The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phases.
The other two phases will be held on April 1 (39 seats) and April 6 (40 seats).
Elaborating on the party manifesto, Priyanka alleged that the BJP government has cheated lakhs of poor tea garden workers despite promising to increase the daily wages of 10 lakh tea estate workers to Rs 350 a day…reports Asian Lite News.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed on Monday that the BJP governments in Assam and at the Centre have been selling endangered animals and strategic assets to their close friends for which the saffron party must be voted out of power in the coming Assembly elections in the northeastern state.
Addressing three election rallies at Sarupathar, Kaliabor and Nagaon in central Assam, Priyanka said the BJP has been selling a range of things, from black panthers to ONGC, airports and other public assets, to the friends of party leaders for their benefit, forgetting the interests of the people and the nation.
Last month, the opposition Congress in Assam had strongly condemned the transfer of two black panthers from the state zoo to a private zoo in Gujarat.
The Congress General Secretary said that her party has been opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) across the country as it would split the society and create unrest in the country.
“The BJP leaders, while campaigning in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam, are making contradictory statements about the implementation of CAA,” she claimed.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had released the party’s manifesto for poll-bound Assam on Saturday, in which the mnain promises include restarting the process of National Register of Citizens (NRC), repealing the CAA, Rs 365 daily wage to tea garden workers, 5 lakh jobs in five years, Rs 2,000 per month to housewives and 200 units free electricity per household.
Elaborating on the party manifesto, Priyanka alleged that the BJP government has cheated lakhs of poor tea garden workers despite promising to increase the daily wages of 10 lakh tea estate workers to Rs 350 a day.
Smt Priyanka Gandhi in Assam (Pallav Paliwal)
“The BJP had forged an electoral alliance with the Bodo People’s Front and the Asom Gana Parishad. It came to power in Assam with their help, but then it weakened both the parties by adopting various strategies.”
She also said that no party is concerned about the women, especially those in the rural areas.
“That’s why the Congress promised to give an allowance of Rs 2,000 per month to the housewives of every household. The Congress’ ‘five guarantees’ will be fulfilled after the party forms the government in Assam following the elections.”
Smt Priyanka Gandhi in Assam (Pallav [Paliwal)
Addressing an election rally along with Priyanka in Nagaon, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is also one of the star campaigners for the Congress, said that his government had waived loans of 18 lakh farmers besides purchasing rice from the farmers at the rate of Rs 2,500 per quintal against Rs 1,000 per quintal in Assam.
“My government is also purchasing cow dung at the rate of Rs 2 per kg, benefiting lakhs of farmers, shepherds and cowherd,” he added.
Priyanka, who arrived in poll-bound Assam for a two-day visit on Sunday, addressed six election rallies during her stay besides visiting the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva in Bordowa Satra.
Smt Priyanka Gandhi in Assam (Pallav Paliwal)
Sankardeva was a 15th-16th century Assamese saint, scholar, poet, playwright, social-religious reformer and a figure of importance in Assam’s cultural and religious history.
The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phase on March 27, April 1 and April 6. The results will be declared on May 2.
The manifesto also promised to make Assam self sufficient in production of essential produce, “Assam Aahar Atmanirbharta Yojana” would be launched which would drive the state towards self sufficiency in essential food items within the next five years…reports Asian Lite News.
Only few more days are left for Assam Assembly elections. Ahead of polls, BJP President J.P. Nadda on Tuesday released the party’s manifesto focusing chronic flood management, protection and development of the Assamese culture, empowerment of youths and women, correction of the NRC and check infiltrations.
Announcing the ruling the BJP’s “Sankalp Patra”, Nadda said that there are 10 main focal issues in the manifesto to be implemented with letter and spirit after the party coming to power for the second time in Assam.
Accompanied by other central and state leaders including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Nadda lauding the efforts of NDA government, said that the party has been working tirelessly for the past five years for the inclusive development of Assam under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, supported by Home Minister Amit Shah and the vision implemented at the grassroots level by Chief Minister, other ministers and leaders.
Explaining the 10 commitments in the manifesto, the BJP President said that under the “Mission Brahmaputra”, new scientific approaches would be undertaken to stop floods in Assam and save the livelihood of people.
“Dredging would be done from Dhubri to Sadiya and build reservoirs to store excess water from Brahmaputra and its tributaries.”
He said that to empower the women under the state’s biggest flagship scheme “Orunodoi”, the monthly payments of Rs 830 would be increased to Rs 3,000 covering 30 lakh deserving families.
The BJP also promised to strengthen and protect ‘Namghars’ and ‘Satras’ (traditional Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam) and grants upto Rs 2.5 lakh to be provided to these traditional institutes.
“Namghars”, literally meaning prayer house, introduced by Srimanta Sankardeva, are places for congregational worship associated with the entire Assamese community and the Ekasarana sect of Hinduism, in particular, which is native to Assam.
While addressing the media, the BJP President said that to boost the future of Assam’s Children, free and quality education with trained teachers eould be provided every child under the ‘Mission Bala Unnayan’ in state government-run institutions.
Free bicycles would be given to all school students from Class VIII standard onwards.
Nadda said that under the 10 main commitments of the BJP, a process of correction and reconciliation of entries into the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under the Supreme Court mandate, would be initiated in a structured manner to protect genuine Indian citizens and exclude all illegal immigrants.
The apex court monitored the NRC published lists on August 31, 2019, excluding the 19.06 lakh people.
A total of 3,11,21,004 names were included in the NRC lists out of 3,30,27,661 applicants.
A majority of those left out from the list are believed to be Bengali Muslims and Hindus besides Gorkhas.
He announced that to safeguard Assam’s political rights, delimitation exercises would be undertaken to protect the political rights of the people.
The manifesto also promised to make Assam self sufficient in production of essential produce, “Assam Aahar Atmanirbharta Yojana” would be launched which would drive the state towards self sufficiency in essential food items within the next five years.
BJP workers .
“To make Assam ;India’s Fastest Job Creator’, two lakh government jobs would be provided to the youth of Assam every year and would also facilitate and enable the provision of eight lakh livelihoods in the private sector,” Nadda said.
He said that to promote the entrepreneurship, the BJP has promised to enable youths to shine and now the new pledge is to further empower them to dream big, scale newer heights and give them the push to become stakeholders in building an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
“To empower Assam’s citizens with land rights, ‘Pattas’ would be given to all landless Indian citizens of the state in a phased manner,” he added.
In the last five years, the BJP government has claimed that it has given ‘Pattas’ to more than three lakh people.
Union Agriculture and Food Processing Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who is the BJP’s Assam central observer, state BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma among other leaders were present in the manifesto release ceremony held at a hotel in Guwahati.
Elections for the 126-seat Assam Assembly would take place in three phases — March 27, April 1 and April 6.
