Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday urged voters in Assam to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly elections scheduled next month, terming the elections crucial in tackling illegal infiltration and ensuring peace and development in the state.
Shah was addressing an election rally in Dhikiajuli to drum up support for BJP candidates from Darrang district, including Cabinet Minister and MLA Ashok Singha.
Voting on all 126 Assembly seats in Assam is scheduled to take place on April 9, and the counting of votes will take place on May 4.
“Don’t think you will vote to elect BJP MLAs or make Himanta Biswa Sarma president again. You will vote to rid Assam of illegal infiltrators, for peace and development, and to ensure that youth get jobs in the state itself without having to move out,” Shah said.
Pointing out that there have been no incidents of shootings or blasts in Assam since the BJP came to power in 2016, he stressed that only the party government can ensure lasting peace in the state.
“What prevented Congress from signing peace deals with rebel groups despite us remaining in power for many years? In the last 10 years, we have put an end to illegal infiltration. But we have not been able to deport them. Please give us five more years to get rid of the problem once and for all,” Shah said.
Shah reminded the audience that the state government had evicted illegal settlers from 49,500 acres of encroached government land and forests, including holy sites such as the birthplace of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev.
“We have pledged to rid Assam of illegal infiltrators… There is a Special Intensive Review (SIR) going on across India to remove illegal infiltrators from voter rolls. But Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi are against it. They should tell the public whether they are with the illegal infiltrators or not,” he said.
The Union Home Minister listed development projects undertaken in the state in the last 10-12 years, when the BJP came to power at the Center in 2014 and in Assam in 2016. He stated that between 2004 and 2014, the Congress government at the Center gave $128,000 crores for Assam. In comparison, the BJP government led by Narendra Modi $900,000 crores to the state from 2014 to 2024.
Shah is scheduled to address another election rally in Tehu later today. The Union Minister arrived in Guwahati on Saturday, where he participated in a roadshow, and is expected to visit again before the end of the election campaign on April 7.
