Guwahati, Feb 22: Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 21 accused opposition parties of concentrating their electoral strategy on minority-dominated constituencies, alleging that their approach reflected vote-bank politics rather than development-oriented planning.
Responding to media queries, the Chief Minister said the ongoing tussle among opposition groups, including the Indian National Congress and Akhil Gogoi, was centred not on majority-dominated constituencies such as Jorhat or Dibrugarh, but on seats like Goalpara, Dhing, Jonia, Goalpara East and Birsingh Jorua, where a significant section of the electorate comprises Miya Muslims.
He asserted that the contest between these parties appeared to be driven by considerations of consolidating minority votes rather than focusing on governance and development issues. Sarma added that the opposition’s disagreements over seat-sharing arrangements had, in his view, indirectly validated his earlier remarks on the matter.
The Chief Minister criticised what he termed as appeasement politics, noting that there were no comparable disputes over constituencies dominated by majority communities. He urged voters to assess what he described as the political motivations behind the opposition’s emphasis on minority-heavy seats.
