GUWAHATI, March 25: The war of words among the ruling and Opposition has well and truly begun as political parties gear up for the high-stakes Assam Assembly elections, scheduled on April 9.
A day after Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi took a dig at former party mates, Pradyut Bordoloi and Bhupen Kumar Borah, who have shifted allegiance to the ruling party to contest the polls, the state BJP on Wednesday played the “indigenous card” to take down the principal Opposition party.
“The Congress party has failed to present a concrete and convincing agenda for the people of Assam, particularly for indigenous communities and citizens of Indian origin,” party spokesperson Kumar Medhi said while addressing mediapersons here.
Medhi said the absence of a clear policy framework has limited Congress’s ability to effectively engage with the public. “While the election process is underway, the Opposition, including Congress, appears to lack direction,” he alleged.
According to him, the campaign by the Opposition alliance (now comprising six parties) has largely revolved around criticism of the BJP and personal attacks, without offering any substantive policy proposals focused on public welfare or the state’s long-term development.
“They are yet to articulate a unified vision or common agenda, with their primary objective seemingly restricted to opposing the BJP-led coalition. In contrast, the ruling alliance led by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been actively leading an extensive and high-energy campaign across three to four Assembly constituencies each day, drawing significant public participation,” Medhi asserted.
Highlighting the achievements of the previous term, the party spokesperson said that the chief minister has been directly engaging with citizens and receiving strong public support.
“The campaign has now entered a new phase with the launch of the “Vijay Sankalp Sabha,” through which the chief minister is outlining a forward-looking roadmap for Assam’s development. He has made key announcements including the reclamation of additional government land from encroachment, building upon the already recovered 1.5 lakh bighas, with a target of freeing 5 lakh bighas in the future,” he said.
“The government has also emphasised its focus on employment and self-reliance. Having already provided merit based, transparent, non-corrupt government employment to approximately 2 lakh youths, it has announced plans to create further opportunities for another 2 lakhs. Additionally, after enabling around 2 lakh young people to become self-reliant, the government aims to expand this initiative to benefit up to 10 lakh youths if re-elected,” the party office-bearer said.
Meanwhile, the BJP has also questioned the limited outreach of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi, stating that his campaign has largely remained confined to the Jorhat constituency.
The party also expressed scepticism over the Congress party’s list of star campaigners, suggesting that certain past statements by senior leaders may not resonate with the people of Assam.
“The electorate is seeking clarity, stability, and a strong development-oriented vision, which it believes is currently reflected in the chief minister’s campaign and governance approach,” Medhi said.
