Guwahati, April 4: Union Minister and former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched a scathing attack on the Congress party Friday, accusing it of deliberately encouraging infiltration to “sustain its vote-bank politics” at the expense of Assam’s indigenous population. Addressing a series of high-decibel election rallies in Margherita, Majuli, and Khowang, Sonowal framed the upcoming April 9 assembly elections as a “defining moment” for the state’s cultural survival.
The Union Minister alleged that the Congress has historically “compromised the interests of Assam,” claiming their policies have systematically weakened the state’s social fabric and shrunken the rights of its native people. He asserted that under the grand old party’s tenure, the identity, language, and heritage of Assam—rooted in the legacy of Ahom Kingdom founder Swargadeo Chaoulung Siu-Ka-Pha—were left vulnerable to external demographic shifts.
“This is not just an election; it is our opportunity to safeguard the self-respect and identity of the Assamese people,” Sonowal told supporters. He contrasted the Congress’s record with that of the BJP-led NDA, highlighting the government’s efforts to reclaim encroached land and secure land rights for lakhs of indigenous families through decisive eviction drives and administrative reforms.
Returning to his former assembly constituency of Majuli, Sonowal struck an emotional chord, thanking the island’s residents for their support during his 2016 chief ministerial bid. He pointed to the elevation of Majuli to a district as a milestone in administrative accessibility, noting that residents no longer need to travel to Jorhat or Dispur for basic government services.
With the 126-member assembly set to go to the polls on April 9 and results scheduled for May 4, Sonowal urged voters to choose “development, peace, and prosperity” over what he described as the divisive politics of the opposition. He concluded by stating that the NDA’s vision is to build a “strong and self-reliant Assam” that serves as a cornerstone for a developed India.
