Guwahati, March 5: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 5 said that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not consider “Miya” Muslims as enemies, but stressed that certain practices such as “Love Jihad, land encroachment and child marriage” must end. He made the remarks while outlining the party’s electoral approach to minority-dominated constituencies in the state.
Addressing a press conference at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati, Sarma said the BJP plans to contest a limited number of Assembly seats where minority voters form a significant portion of the electorate. He clarified that the party’s candidate selection in such constituencies would depend on winnability and local demographic factors rather than religious identity.
“BJP will contest in two to four minority-dominated seats. Candidates will be selected as per the particular Assembly census and not based on religion but on the basis of who can win,” Sarma said. He also noted that the party’s ally, the Asom Gana Parishad, maintains a strong presence in several of these areas, while the BJP itself has organisational strength in constituencies such as Dhubri and Gauripur.
Sarma added that even in places where the BJP does not succeed in Assembly elections, the party continues to perform well in local body polls. “In Dhubri and Gauripur, even if we lose Assembly elections, we win municipal elections. So we must keep our votes there as we also aim to win the upcoming municipal and panchayat elections,” he said.
Responding to a question on whether a “Miya” Muslim candidate could receive a BJP ticket, Sarma said the party has no objection if the individual is patriotic and adheres to certain principles.
“Anyone who loves the nation and says ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ or ‘Vande Mataram’, we have nothing to worry about. ‘Miya’ people are not our enemy. Our problem is with Love Jihad, land encroachment, child marriage and fertiliser jihad,” he said.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the party’s position is not directed against any community but against what he described as specific practices, which the state government has been addressing through its policies and enforcement measures in recent years.
