Guwahati: In a high-voltage rally ahead of Assam’s single-phase assembly elections on April 9, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a blistering attack on the Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family, accusing them of harboring “never having good feelings” for the northeastern state.
Recalling the dark days of the 1962 Sino-Indian war, Shah alleged that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had effectively abandoned Assam during the Chinese aggression. “In 1962, when China attacked, Jawaharlal Nehru said ‘tata-bye-bye’ to Assam,” Shah asserted to a charged crowd. “Is Assam your father’s property? Today I am saying clearly—no one can seize even an inch of Assam’s land. This is India’s Assam.”
The Home Minister’s sharp remarks came as part of the BJP’s high-octane campaign to retain power for a third straight term in alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). The opposition Congress, meanwhile, is fighting back with a six-party coalition.
The Infiltrator Pledge
Shah pivoted aggressively to the issue of alleged illegal immigration, a sensitive and decisive topic in Assam politics. He claimed that previous Congress regimes had “surrendered” the state to infiltrators who are now snatching land, jobs, and even encroaching upon the Kaziranga forests.
“The Congress government had surrendered this very Assam into the hands of infiltrators. These infiltrators are seizing the land belonging to the poor people of Assam. They are snatching away employment opportunities from our youth,” Shah said.
Claiming a major victory over the last decade, the Union Minister stated that the BJP has already liberated 1.5 lakh acres of land from infiltrators across key parts of the state. He then made a bold pre-poll promise: “Elect a BJP government here once again, and we will undertake the task of liberating the entirety of Assam from infiltrators. Make Himanta Biswa Sarma the CM once more, and we will carry out the task of rooting out every single infiltrator.”
Development vs. Dynasty
Shah contrasted the BJP’s decade in power with what he called the Congress’s “60 years of neglect.” He pointed to infrastructure, noting that while the previous government managed to build only three bridges in six decades, the BJP has constructed Asia’s largest and longest bridges in Assam—four completed and two more underway.
“Our policy has been ‘Approach Assam, Aspire Assam, and Inspire Assam’,” he said, listing achievements including the liberation of Batadrava Than, the Charaideo Maidam getting UNESCO World Heritage Centre status, and a massive spectacle of 11,000 artists performing Bihu together at the Sarusajai Stadium.
Taking a direct swipe at the Congress’s opposition to an educational project, Shah claimed the party is actively trying to block the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Palasbari. “When PM Modi brought the IIM to Palasbari, his objective was to ensure that the youth of Palasbari and Assam could study at the IIM. Yet, the Congress party is opposing the IIM. They actively worked to obstruct the bill,” he added.
The Final Call
Shah concluded with a sharp remark directed at the state Congress president, alleging silence over accusations of links with “enemy nations,” though he did not elaborate on specific names. The Home Minister urged voters to ensure the BJP crosses the 90-seat mark in the 126-member assembly.
With voting set for April 9 and counting scheduled for May 4, Assam remains a critical battleground. The ruling alliance is banking on Hindutva consolidation, infrastructure delivery, and a hardline stance on infiltration, while the Congress-led bloc hopes to stitch together a coalition of regional identities and anti-incumbency sentiment.
