“I don’t want Muslim votes as of now”: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: “I don’t want Muslim votes, especially the migrant Muslim votes as we don’t indulge in vote bank politics”, said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In an interview with the news channel NDTV, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said,”I have a pronounced stand that we don’t want the votes of Muslims, especially the Bengali-speaking Muslims. Because all problems start from the vote bank politics. Congress party wanted their votes and, so when the Congress was in power, they didn’t construct roads in Muslim areas, electrification was not done, no school collages were constructed. They were deprived of vote bank politics. I have taken a principal stand that I don’t want your votes, but for the next ten years, I will do development works in your areas”, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He further said,” I want to end child marriage amongst the Muslims. I want Muslim boys not to attend Madrassa and go to normal schools so that they even can aspire to become doctors. I want every Muslim girl to attend formal education up to graduation level. For the next 10-15 years, I want to do this, and after that, I will go and ask for their votes. As if now I don’t want their votes and don’t want to make it transactional”, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma added.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma further said that he took the decision not to campaign in Muslim areas in the past elections too.

“In 2016 and 2021, I took a stand that I would not campaign in Muslim areas seeking their votes. I did not go to Muslim areas. When the model code of conduct was declared I stopped visiting the Muslim areas and said I would go there after winning the election. For the coming Lok Sabha election, too, I am telling them to vote for whoever they want without tension, and BJP won’t go for campaign in the Muslim areas. But I will continue the development works for the Muslims”, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also pointed out that let the Congress party go and campaign amongst Muslims. Let the Muslims realise that the relationship between the Congress party and Muslims is based on vote, and ours is above vote bank politics.