Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday stated that the assembly election results reaffirmed public support for the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) agenda of peace and prosperity. He added that his government will work towards making Assam a Rs 10 lakh-crore economy by 2028.
Criticism of Opposition
Sarma also criticized the opposition for politicizing the death of singer Zubeen Garg during the elections. Speaking during the debate on the "Motion of Thanks to the Governor's Address" in the assembly, Sarma highlighted the NDA's electoral performance. "NDA’s number of seats not just reached 102, but the number of votes polled by its candidates also increased by 15 lakh. BJP candidates secured over 81.92 lakh votes, AGP got 14 lakh, and BPF got 8 lakh, with the NDA crossing the 1-crore votes mark in total," he said.
The Chief Minister noted that the NDA swept all Scheduled Tribe reserved seats and tea tribes-dominated ones, while winning all but one seat reserved for the Scheduled Caste. He asserted that the election results showed that people rejected personal attacks. "The people of the state have given a befitting reply to the political party engaged in personal attack and politicising the Zubeen death case for electoral gain," he added.
Inclusive Victory
Sarma emphasized that the NDA's victory was inclusive. "People have extended such wide support to NDA only because of the govt’s efforts to work for development, peace and prosperity and to protect the identity and land," he said. He also criticized the opposition for low-level campaigning. "During the campaign, discussions even centred on whether my wife applies ‘sindoor’ or not. We cannot stoop so low as to comment on what an MLA’s wife wears," he remarked.
Referring to the Congress party, Sarma said, "One party even included Zubeen’s name in its manifesto and used his photos in campaigns. Those who once hired singers from Bangladesh for cultural events suddenly became his admirers overnight." In an apparent reference to state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi’s defeat, Sarma noted that arrogance can cost a politician dearly, pointing out that a leader lost an assembly segment within a Lok Sabha constituency he had won just two years ago.
Economic Goals
Highlighting Assam’s economic growth, Sarma said the state's GDP has doubled from Rs 4 lakh-crore in 2021-22 to Rs 8 lakh-crore over the past five years, with a target of reaching Rs 10 lakh-crore by 2028. He also pointed to a strengthening middle class, stating that the proportion of people below the poverty line will be reduced to 2–3% in the next five years from the current 17%. "Social indicators improve when poverty declines. The drop in Maternal Mortality Rate is one such example," Sarma said.
He noted that the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) has fallen from 480 per 1 lakh live births in 2006 to 84, bringing Assam below the national average. Sarma reiterated that the government will continue to focus on development while protecting the identity of indigenous people by checking illegal Bangladeshi influx and safeguarding tribal land.
Eidgah Committees
Sarma also lauded the decision of several Eidgah committees to refrain from cow slaughter during Eid-ul-Zuha and hoped more committees would follow suit.
