GUWAHATI: Assam will vote in a single phase on April 9 — the first single-day poll in 25 years — with identity politics, development, welfare schemes, alleged corruption and the Zubeen Garg “murder” controversy in focus. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.
Opposition party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) alleged the Election Commission’s decision to complete the election process within just three weeks would benefit the ruling BJP.
The poll will see a contest between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led five-party opposition alliance, with both national parties set to contest most seats.
The BJP has renewed its alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) and the Rabha Hasong Joutha Mancha.
According to the BJP-BPF understanding, the BJP will contest four of the 15 seats in Bodoland, while the BPF will contest the remaining 11. These 15 seats will be crucial for the BJP considering the anti-incumbency factor. The BJP-AGP seat-sharing deal is awaiting the BJP central leadership’s nod.
On the other hand, the Congress has forged an alliance with the AJP, CPI(M), CPI(ML) and the All Party Hill Leaders’ Conference.
The BJP under chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has, to some extent, managed to whip up an anti-Bangladeshi sentiment in a state where the original inhabitants have faced demographic changes over several decades. Through a series of eviction drives, the BJP government reclaimed 1.51 lakh bighas of land from the illegal occupation of “infiltrators”.
Sarma had earlier claimed that the Assamese would become “almost a minority” in their own state after Census 2027.
Assam has witnessed notable infrastructure development over the past 10 years. Several new medical colleges, hospitals, roads and bridges have been built, boosting the healthcare system and connectivity. The BJP has highlighted employment, pointing to 1.65 lakh youth securing government jobs over the past five years without shelling out money.
All these factors, coupled with the welfare scheme “Orunodoi”, under which 40 lakh women beneficiaries receive Rs 1,250 per month, may keep the BJP in good stead in the poll.
As for the Congress, which ruled Assam for 15 years between 2001 and 2016 but lost every election thereafter, it will try to regain lost ground. The party received a boost after Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi -- son of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi -- was appointed its state president.
The biggest fear for the Congress will be the fragmentation of opposition votes. Raijor Dal, led by activist-turned-MLA Akhil Gogoi, and minority-based party All India United Democratic Front are going solo in the poll.
The Congress is expected to go hard at the BJP for failing to give “justice” to Garg as promised, alleged corruption by the BJP and its elected members, and failure to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities – Moran, Matak, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai-Ahom and Tea Tribes/Adivasi.
The Tai-Ahom and Tea Tribe communities have a large number of voters in Upper Assam, which has around 25 of the state’s 126 Assembly seats. A group of ministers had earlier recommended ST status for the six communities and sent its report to the central government. There has been no further development.
In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s words, Assam’s BJP government ended a “historical injustice” by deciding to grant land rights to tea plantation workers. This is the first such initiative in the 200-year-old history of Assam tea.
