Guwahati, Jan 9: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday stated that Muslims of Bangladeshi origin could account for nearly 40 percent of the state’s population in the upcoming Census. He highlighted ongoing demographic changes, warning that the Census might reflect “more unfortunate news for Assam.”

Sarma, speaking to reporters during a government event, referred to his July 2025 projection that Muslims in the state could nearly equal Hindus by 2041 if current growth trends continued. According to the 2011 Census, Assam had a population of 3.12 crore, including 1.07 crore Muslims (34.22 percent) and 1.92 crore Hindus (61.47 percent). The next Census, postponed from 2021 due to COVID-19, will be conducted in two phases: houselisting from April to September 2026, followed by population enumeration in February 2027.

The Chief Minister also instructed BJP MLAs and booth-level agents to report “any doubtful person” during the ongoing Special Revision of electoral rolls. He encouraged complaints through official channels and dismissed opposition criticism regarding voter list deletions, inviting parties like Congress to file formal requests for corrections.

Sarma further questioned Congress’s relevance in the state, asserting that “except for illegal Bangladeshis, which indigenous person will vote for Congress?” He added that the opposition had limited presence on the ground ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for March-April. The BJP is expected to finalize seat-sharing decisions by February 15.