Citizens pledge support to BJP in Assam polls largely due to Modi’s effective ‘China policy’
Guwahati: The beauty of democracy is that the Voters have their own ways to form their opinion.
Some sensible and politically sensitive voters in the poll-bound northeastern state of Assam say it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s firm and decisive policies towards China and also Pakistan that would give him and the Lotus party a definite edge in the fast-approaching election.
In a state where the outsiders and sons of the soil issues often make a deep-rooted political angle, a number of voters say Prime Minister’s surgical strike in 2019 against Pakistan and handling of the Galwan crisis with China in June 2020 were well articulated and show India as an emerging power.
“My vote is for the BJP candidate, whosoever he or she would be because my vote is aimed at strengthening our Prime Minister’s hands,” says 56-year-old Uttam Kumar Baruah.
A student of political science who later made a career as a traditional folk singer, Baruah says, the Prime Minister’s policies towards Pakistan and China have already started showing results.
The BJP and its ally AGP shared Guwahati East and Guwahati West seats in 2016 assembly polls, while the prestigious Dispur seat was also bagged by Atul Bora belonging to the saffron party.
Agreeing with him, a Bihari voter in Barpeta Shankar Anand says – “India stands to benefit from Modi’s China policy especially in terms of actions against all Chinese Apps after Galwan misadventure”.
Five years back in the assembly election – which brought to power in the state for the first time – the politically important Barpeta seat too was also won by the AGP.
Shankar Anand also says India is lucky to have an able Foreign Minister in Dr S Jaishankar. The foreign policy of the Modi government will be helping BJP come to power in Assam. The electoral win in the sensitive border state of Assam will in the ultimate help Modi frame his policies on both – international and domestic fronts, he maintains.
A number of Gorkhali and Tibetan citizens in certain pockets in Guwahati township also express happiness that Mr Modi’s handling of the tension in the Doklam sector was satisfactory.
Similarly, they say under Modi, India has able to give an assertive message to Pakistan that it cannot go on creating problems in Kashmir and in other parts.
However, a section of voters – mostly on the condition of anonymity- have ventilated their concerns and also grievances that on the Punjab front, there should have been better vigil as efforts are being made to foment troubles in India and specifically in Delhi by pro-Khalitani elements.
In this context, one elderly citizen and a retired Border Security Force personnel says strictest actions should be taken against those responsible for the Republic Day mayhem at Red Fort.
He further said that the Indian government should also initiate actions in coordination with Canada government on the Poetic Justice Foundation (a pro-Khalistan body) as to how could this group get involved with the farmers’ stir in Delhi.
