BJP to retain power in Assam: Amit Shah

Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government will retain its power in the state as the people have realised that the Congress-AIUDF alliance will not be able to curb infiltrations and corruption.

Addressing three election rallies at Jonai, Majuli and Udalguri, Shah said that the Congress must tell the people how it would check infiltrations from across the border.

"When our government is doing development in Assam, Congress forges an alliance with a communal force to win the elections," he said.

"The BJP government before 2016 Assembly elections promised to make Assam a corruption free, agitation free, infiltration free and terrorism free state. The (BJP) government during the past five years has achieved a lot. Not only that, the government has also made Assam a flood free state," Shah claimed.

The Union Home Minister alleged that during the Congress' rule in Assam, terrorists killed a large number of civilians and security personnel and no action was taken.

But in recent years, over 2,000 militants have surrendered and deposited thousands of arms and ammunition, he added.

Accusing the Congress for "not doing any significant development for Assam", he said that the NDA government has allocated Rs 53,000 crore for the constructions of a 20,000 km road; Rs 46,000 crore was being invested for for the projects in gas and oil sectors; and six mega bridges were constructed over the Brahmaputra river.

Appreciating the efforts of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Shah said that in Covid-19 management, the Assam government's performance was excellent in the entire country.

Sonowal, who accompanied Shah in the three election rallies, is seeking re-election from Majuli, the largest river island of the world.

The 47 Assembly constituencies, including Majuli, would go to the polls in the first phase on March 27.

The 126-member Assam Assembly polls would be held in three phases.

In the second phase on April 1, polling will take place for 39 seats and in the last and third phase on April 6, elections will be held for the remaining 40 constituencies.

The results will be declared on May 2.