Guwahati, Jan 25: With the Assam Assembly elections approaching, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday flagged off the Bharatiya Janata Party’s video vans as part of a statewide outreach drive, using the occasion to lay out the party’s election strategy while mounting a sharp attack on the Congress and what he termed “misinformation-driven politics”.
Addressing the media after the flag-off, Sarma said the video vans would be deployed across Assam around six weeks ahead of every election to collect public feedback and suggestions. He said people from all sections of society, including sportspersons, cultural figures and intellectuals, would be encouraged to share their views through the initiative.
The Chief Minister also confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Guwahati on February 14 to inaugurate the Guwahati–North Guwahati bridge. During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to hand over 100 electric buses provided by the Centre to the Assam government and address a major election-focused rally at Khanapara, to be attended by booth-level workers and party officials from across the state.
Reiterating his allegations against the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, Sarma described the institution as a centre of “fraud and deception” and warned students and parents in Assam against pursuing education there. He claimed multiple cases involving alleged fake certificates and cheating were pending against the university and its chancellor, Mahbubul Hoque.
Escalating his attack on the Congress, the Chief Minister alleged that a majority of recent applicants to the party belonged to the Miya community and claimed that a recent Congress programme in Rangia was a religious gathering rather than a political event. He accused the party of attempting communal consolidation.
On the Guwahati–North Guwahati toll gate issue, Sarma reiterated that repeated toll collection was wrong and said toll charges would apply only to trucks and buses, as previously announced.
Responding to concerns over eviction drives, the Chief Minister asserted that no indigenous Assamese people would be evicted from hill areas in Guwahati, stating that action would be taken only against illegal settlers. He also criticised what he described as the spread of false narratives, saying misinformation created unnecessary stress among the public.
Sarma further hinted at exposing alleged links between Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and Pakistan-related power projects, saying details would be made public soon.
Outlining the BJP’s electoral approach, he said seat-sharing would take place under the National Democratic Alliance framework and dismissed allegations of paid tickets. He warned that leaders openly seeking tickets through the media had been placed on a “red list”.
Concluding his remarks, the Chief Minister said the BJP remained united ahead of the elections and did not function along factional lines.
