“Majority Bangladesh-origin people voted for Congress” claims Assam CM Himanta

Sarma accused the minority community, particularly those of Bangladesh-origin, of voting en masse for the Congress despite the development work done by the BJP-led governments at both the Centre and state levels.

| Updated: 23 June, 2024 7:47 pm IST

NEW DELHI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has made claims regarding the voting behavior of the minority community in Assam following the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Sarma accused the minority community, particularly those of Bangladesh-origin, of voting en masse for the Congress despite the development work done by the BJP-led governments at both the Centre and state levels.

“Except in Karimganj, if we consider the centres with majority Bangladesh-origin people, 99 per cent of votes have gone to Congress. They (minority people) may be residing in houses given by (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, availing electricity and sanitation facilities provided by Modi, but when they go to vote, they vote for Congress,” according to a news agency.

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Speaking at a felicitation event for victorious MPs of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Guwahati, Sarma asserted that Hindus in Assam do not engage in communal politics and vote based on merit. He contrasted this with what he described as “tactical voting” by the minority community, who he claimed overwhelmingly supported the Congress. Sarma argued that this voting pattern occurred despite the BJP’s efforts to develop minority-dominated areas.

According to Sarma, the minority community’s votes are heavily concentrated in 21 assembly segments, where BJP received only 3% of the votes. He contended that this indicated communal voting patterns, accusing the minority community of voting based on religious and communal lines, unlike other communities in the state. Sarma noted that despite living in houses and using facilities provided by the Modi government, the minority community still voted for the Congress.

The BJP-AGP-UPPL coalition won 11 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, with the Congress securing the remaining three. Sarma emphasized that the NDA garnered nearly 47% of the votes polled, while the Congress and its allies received 39%.

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Sarma also criticised the Congress, accusing the party of arrogance after winning three seats. He pointed out that the BJP and its allies had won 92 out of 126 assembly segments, a historic achievement for a ruling alliance in the state.

Furthermore, Sarma claimed that the minority community, motivated by a desire to control the state in the future, has previously engaged in activities such as attacking a police station and attempting to encroach on land. He implied that these incidents could increase if the BJP government were not in power.

Sarma asserted that the BJP remains committed to nation-building and development for all regions of Assam, regardless of electoral support, and set a target to achieve 50% of the vote share in the 2026 state elections.

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