BJP Assam victory historic: Saikia

Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia on Monday termed the party’s absolute majority on its own in the Assembly polls as “historic”, describing its third successive victory as a “testimony to the fulfilment” of its 2021 election manifesto.

In an interview with PTI, he said the people had given a “mature mandate” after comparing 55 years of “Congress misrule” with the BJP-led NDA government’s 10 years of governance. Saikia said the party received overwhelming support from all sections of society.

“Post Independence, this is the first time that an alliance is getting more than 100 seats. The BJP is the only party other than the Congress which got an absolute majority in Assam. This is a historic mandate,” Saikia said. The ruling BJP won 67 seats and was ahead in 15 other constituencies. To form a government, a party or alliance requires 64 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

BJP’s ally the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) bagged seven seats and was leading in another three. Another member of the NDA alliance, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) won five seats and was leading in five, according to the Election Commission data. “BJP’s massive victory in Assam is a testimony to the fulfilment of the 2021 election manifesto. People saw that we tried to fulfil every promise with near perfection,” Saikia said.

“The people understood and realised that what the BJP says, it does that in letter and spirit,” he added.

“All Sanatani and indigenous people accepted us wholeheartedly. People came out in large numbers and voted to secure the future of indigenous people,” Saikia said. This verdict is a “validation of the BJP’s agenda” of making Assam developed, peaceful and secured, he said.

“People of Assam have given a mature mandate after they compared the 55 years of the Congress misrule with the BJP’s 10-year good governance. The people analysed the atmosphere and voted unitedly in favour of us,” he added.

Saikia, a Lok Sabha MP, asserted that the Congress and the opposition alliance tried to mislead people with “fake narratives”, while their “anti-Assam and pro-Bangladeshi” nature was fully rejected by voters.

“The opposition’s campaign of anti-incumbency and other sentiments was rejected by the people,” he added.

He claimed that all sections of society, including women, youth and SC/ST communities, supported the BJP.

“All segments of society voted for the BJP. Women supported us wholeheartedly. The youth, Gen Z and others voted without any negativity,” he said.

The people of the state recognised the BJP-led government’s efforts to “protect” the religious, cultural and historic ethos of the state, Saikia said.

The Assam BJP chief said all elected party candidates will be invited to come to the party office on Tuesday for a meeting and celebration of the results.

Asked about electing the chief minister, Saikia said, “The leader of the House will be decided by the central leadership in the coming days.”

The ruling BJP’s strength in the outgoing Assam Assembly is 64, while its allies AGP has nine MLAs, UPPL has seven, and BPF has three members.

In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF has 15 members, and the CPI(M) has one MLA. There is one Independent legislator also.