Assam elections: BJP manifesto promises Rs 5 lakh cr investment

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday released the BJP’s manifesto for Assam Assembly polls, promising protection of land, heritage and dignity of indigenous people and `5 lakh crore infrastructure investment.

BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ comprises 31 promises, including the recovery of encroached land from “Bangladeshi Miyas”, bringing in Uniform Civil Code, and creating employment opportunities for youths.

The manifesto pledged to protect the land, heritage and dignity of the indigenous people of Assam by implementing the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, to expedite the process of detection and pushback of illegal immigrants.

The BJP also promised that it would strengthen the legislative protections to preserve the civilisation, heritage and rights of the people of Assam by implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), excluding the Sixth Schedule and Tribal areas, to ensure the rights of ethnic communities.

It pledged to “free every inch of land from encroachment by illegal immigrants and provide land rights to all genuine citizens of Assam” under the ‘Mission Basundhara’ scheme.

The manifesto also assured that the BJP, if it returns to power in Assam, would free the encroached land parcels of Satras, Namghars, Devalayas and other places of worship.

The BJP will also formulate an effective law to end the menace of ‘Love Jihad’ and take firm measures to tackle the menace of ‘Land Jihad’, the party’s manifesto said.

The party promised that Rs 5 lakh crore would be invested to position Assam as India’s Eastern Gateway, backed by the Asom Gati Shakti Master Plan, to ensure the timely completion of projects.

The saffron party also pledged to launch the ‘Badh Mukt Assam Mission’ with an investment of over Rs 18,000 crore to make the State flood-free. The BJP will also provide 2 lakh Government jobs and create more entrepreneurial opportunities through various schemes.

Sitharaman said this manifesto was prepared on “a decade of transformation of the State, which the Congress could not achieve in 60 years”.

“The Congress had no focus on long-term development of North East as that is what its politics is all about”, she alleged. Massive development has taken place under the BJP rule in the state, the finance minister claimed, adding that “many young Assamese are leaving their global careers and returning to Assam, not out of compulsion but due to opportunities”. “Peace has been restored in Assam by the BJP”, and the development is possible only when there is stability, she said.

“Assam lived with AFSPA for 32 years due to Congress policies, but the BJP ensured that the law was removed from most States,” she added.

Among those present on the occasion were Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Pabitra Margherita, state BJP president Dilip Saikia, National vice president Baijayant Panda, state cabinet ministers and other senior party leaders.

Elections to 126 assembly constituencies in the state will be held on April 9, with counting on May 4.