GUWAHATI, March 31: Union minister and senior BJP leader Sarbananda Sonowal launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of decades of neglect towards indigenous communities, including people from the Rabha community.
Campaigning for the BJP candidate Ajit Rabha ahead of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC) elections at Belguri under Boko-Chaygaon LAC, Sonowal said, “For decades, Congress misled the poor with empty slogans like ‘Garibi Hatao’ while failing to take action on the ground. Tribal communities faced neglect and oppression whenever they asserted their rights. Corruption and inefficiency plagued Congress-led governments, depriving people of essential welfare benefits.
As it is, the BJP and its allies, as well as the Opposition Congress, have over the few days been hecticly campaigning for their candidates.
Meanwhile, campaigning for the elections to 36 constituencies of RHAC, which will be held on April 2, 2025 ended on Monday. As many as 4,45,586 electors, comprising 2,16,181 male voters, 2,29,394 female voters, and 11 voters from the ‘others’ category are set to vote in the election which will be conducted across 630 polling stations.
Highlighting Assam’s transformation under BJP-led governance, Sonowal pointed out improvements in agriculture, youth employment, and women’s empowerment.
He noted that India’s rise to the world’s fifth-largest economy is fueling aspirations to become a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
“Under the Prime Minister’s visionary leadership, Northeast India is emerging as a powerhouse of self-reliance and economic growth. Congress left this region behind with insurgency, corruption, and misrule, but BJP’s double-engine government has revolutionised connectivity, reduced travel time, and integrated the Northeast with the national economy,” Sonowal added.
He urged voters to support BJP and its allies for continued progress, emphasising that the Modi government’s commitment to the Northeast is “unwavering and built on trust, not tokenism.”
“The BJP government in Assam has accelerated he state’s development, attracting significant investment through ‘Advantage Assam’, opening new avenues for industries and employment. To continue this momentum and ensure good governance, I urge the people to vote overwhelmingly for the BJP-led alliance in the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council elections,” Sonowal appealed to the electors.
Sonowal was accompanied by the state BJP president Dilip Saikia and other party leaders.
Meanwhile, state BJP president Dilip Saikia has expressed confidence in the electors to place their trust on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “With NDA’s vision for security, development, and preservation, I am confident that the people will once again place their trust in us,” Saikia said.