Guwahati: The BJP’s confidence of winning 100 plus seats in the 126-member Assam assembly is based on a ‘realistic’ assessment as the saffron party has worked for inclusive development and for ‘smaller communities’, state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said.
“We have worked for smaller communities like Rabhas, Chutiyas, Kacharis and others. There are segments like Deshis, Morias and Jolahs. Some of them are from Assamese linguistic groups and are different from Muslims among Bengali speaking. You must understand the difference. In the past, the Congress regime focused on vote bank politics. That has harmed Assam. Our party has got a strong grip among smaller communities,” Mr Sonowal told ‘Organiser’ in an interview. (detail excerpts will be used in our website at a later stage).
He also said that the BJP and its allies have won Rabha Hasong, Sonowal Kachari and Mising Autonomous Council elections.
“These have not attracted the attention of the national media. But they reflect ground reality. All these make me very confident. Our target 100 plus endorsed by my party high command is based on these realistic assessments.
During our time, all sections of the people received adequate respect and dignity of life,” he said.
Answering questions on anti-CAA and anti-NPR protests in mainland Assam, the Chief Minister said, “The CAA is not against any community who are in India. The NRC is a process and all necessary precautionary measures were taken and will be taken. If you remember, I had addressed a big peace rally at Jalukbari in December 2019, my point was clear, there were conspirators at work. Most of these protests were organized and inspired by communist leaning organizations”.
He further said, the principal opposition Congress also provided “fuel” to the fire.
“No one could convince, how BJP leaders and my government were responsible for a central legislation and that too involving religious minorities like Christians, Hindus and Buddhists and others in nations like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh,” he maintained adding, the protest was totally misled and out of false propaganda.
Mr Sonowal, who hails from the small Kachari tribe himself, claimed the people of Assam are “convinced” that the BJP governments both in the state and in the centre “have done maximum” for the indigenous people of Assam.
Dwelling at length on the ‘Modi factor’ that will help the saffron party record a second consecutive victory in Assam polls, the Chief Minister said, “India is a global power today. The manner Prime Minister Narendra Modi has handled China and Pakistan have gone down very well. Assamese people are nationalistic to the core. So, Modiji’s strong nationalistic image goes very well here.”
He also went on to add: “I would like to mention Home Minister Amit Shahji also. Both our beloved leaders have delivered on Kashmir. People of Assam readily endorse that abolition of Article 370 was a historical milestone”.
He also said: “It is our Prime Minister who took special initiative in transforming Assam into an organic hub”.
“Our governance in the centre has also done well to deliver the new Triple Talaq law and women among Muslim minorities have welcomed this law as this has saved them from an age-old bad and inhuman practice.
Moreover, for the first time we have got a prime minister who loves the North East from the core,” he added.
