Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stirred the political waters in the state's Barak Valley, making a sharp distinction between 'local' and 'foreign' Muslims while expressing strong confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) electoral prospects ahead of the assembly polls.
Local Support vs. 'Mias': CM's Political Calculus
Speaking to journalists in Silchar on Sunday, Sarma reignited the sensitive debate on identity and voting blocs. He asserted that Muslims with deep-rooted, generational ties to the valley have consistently supported the BJP and will continue to do so. In contrast, he suggested that those he termed 'foreigners' or 'mias' would not back his party.
"Had our party not got the support of local Muslims, we wouldn't have won the Karimganj Lok Sabha seat," Sarma stated, crediting their votes in Hailakandi and Sribhumi for defeating the Congress. With the assembly elections scheduled for early next year, the CM projected a sweeping victory for the BJP in the post-delimitation landscape of the valley.
BJP's 10-Seat Target in Barak Valley
Sarma declared that the BJP is poised to win 10 of the valley's 13 assembly constituencies. "Which three seats I have left for the 'mias' are known to all. We will focus on the remaining 10," he remarked, outlining a clear electoral strategy. Following the recent delimitation exercise, Barak Valley, which comprises the districts of Cachar, Sribhumi (Karimganj), and Hailakandi, now has 13 seats.
While Sribhumi and Hailakandi are Muslim-majority districts, Cachar has a marginal Hindu majority. In the 2021 assembly elections, the BJP had won seven seats, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) secured five, and the Congress managed three. Sarma downplayed reports of AIUDF leaders switching to the BJP's ally, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), ahead of the crucial polls.
Infrastructure Push: Bridges, Airport, and Corridor
The Chief Minister's visit was primarily to lay the foundation stone for a major infrastructure project—a 340-metre RCC bridge over the Barak River at Gandhi Ghat. The bridge, with an estimated cost of over Rs 79 crore from the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund, will connect Madhuramukh with Silchar. It is expected to reduce travel distance by nearly 8 kilometers and be completed within two years.
Highlighting his government's development agenda for the region, Sarma listed several key projects. These include the Annapurna Setu, Badri Setu, and Sonai Setu bridges, along with ongoing initiatives at Silghat and Karatigram. He also shared significant updates on two high-profile proposals: the approval for the proposed Doloo airport is likely soon, and an elevated corridor for Silchar, worth Rs 564 crore, has already been cleared.
The CM's statements effectively weave together a narrative of targeted welfare for 'local' communities with a strong emphasis on tangible infrastructural development, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle in Barak Valley in 2026.
