With the crucial elections for the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly just around the corner, the state's political atmosphere is intensifying. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed strong confidence in securing a third consecutive term in power, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle.
BJP's Confidence and the Clash of Legacies
Addressing the media at the party's state headquarters in Guwahati, BJP's Assam president and Member of Parliament, Dilip Saikia, laid out the core narrative for the upcoming polls. He stated that the electorate is poised to make a decisive comparison between the Congress party's 70-year rule in the state and the BJP-led coalition's decade in power.
"People of the state have witnessed 70 years of Congress governance and the last 10 years under the BJP-led government. Everything is crystal clear," Saikia asserted. He expressed optimism that this comparison would work in the BJP's favor, leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to another victory. "We are optimistic about a third term," he added, framing the election as a year of renewed victories for the party.
Ideological Battle and Grassroots Mobilization
Saikia emphasized that for the BJP, the impending election transcends a mere contest for political power. He described it as a decisive struggle to safeguard the nation and civilisation, underscoring the ideological dimension the party aims to highlight. To translate this confidence into votes, he called upon party workers to dedicate themselves fully to the electoral mission, urging them to campaign with unwavering resolve, discipline, and commitment.
The groundwork for the campaign is already in advanced stages. Earlier, on December 26 and 27, key national leaders held strategic meetings in the state. BJP national working president Nitin Nabin and the party's Assam election in-charge Baijayant Panda convened with the state leadership and approximately 900 representatives from various organizational levels to chalk out a detailed roadmap for the polls.
National Leadership Sounds the Poll Bugle
The BJP's campaign in Assam has already received a significant boost from its top national figures. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially sounded the poll bugle during their visits to the state, rallying the party cadre and reaching out to voters. The momentum is set to continue, with PM Modi scheduled to visit Assam again later this month, further energizing the party's campaign machinery as it seeks a historic third consecutive term in Dispur.
As the countdown to the elections begins, the political discourse in Assam is firmly centered on the comparative assessment of development and governance between two distinct political eras, setting the tone for a fiercely contested election.
