Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 3 alleged that the Congress party is centring its electoral strategy on constituencies dominated by what he described as “Bangladeshi-origin Muslims” ahead of the state Assembly elections.
Addressing reporters, Sarma claimed that the seats Congress is contesting under alliance arrangements largely comprise areas with a significant population of Muslims of alleged Bangladeshi origin. He asserted that this political focus demonstrates the party’s departure from the interests of Assam’s indigenous communities.
“If you notice the seats which Congress is fighting in alliance, they are mostly those which belong to Bangladeshi-origin Muslims. The people of Assam must understand that Congress is not standing with the indigenous people of the state. It is evident as we move closer to the Assembly elections,” Sarma said.
Referring to the contest between Congress and the regional party Raijor Dal, led by Akhil Gogoi, the Chief Minister claimed that even this contest is concentrated in similar constituencies. He said, “From the very first day, I have been saying that Congress is not with Assam or its indigenous people. It would have been different if the fight was over seats like Jorhat or Dibrugarh. But Congress has mortgaged its soul to people of Bangladeshi-origin Muslims and will contest from there and run its politics from there.”
The Congress party has yet to respond to Sarma’s remarks. His comments come amid escalating political rhetoric as the Assembly elections approach, with identity, migration, and indigenous rights expected to dominate the campaign discourse.
