Amit Shah sets ‘development, secure Assam’ agenda; BJP eyes third consecutive term in 2026

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 30 sharpened the BJP’s campaign pitch for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, declaring that the party will fight the polls on twin planks of development and a secure state, while launching a blistering attack on the Congress over infiltration, demography and governance failures.

During a two-day visit to Assam, Shah held a closed-door, two-hour meeting with senior BJP leaders and office-bearers, outlining the party’s electoral strategy. Briefing reporters later, BJP Assam president Dilip Saikia said Shah had offered valuable inputs based on his electoral experience and urged the state unit to secure a landslide victory and win more seats than in the last Assembly elections. Saikia said an action plan to retain power for a third consecutive term would be finalised soon.

Addressing public meetings in Dibrugarh and Dhemaji, Shah accused the Congress of encouraging infiltration for electoral gains and claimed that Assam’s demography was irreversibly altered during Congress rule. He alleged that the population of infiltrators rose to 64 lakh and that they became a majority in seven districts, asserting that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Assam were now working to reverse the trend.

Shah said infiltration had compromised national security and Assam’s social fabric and stressed that it must be stopped permanently. He urged voters to strengthen Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s hands by re-electing the BJP, claiming that the state government had freed 1.26 lakh acres of land from encroachment by illegal settlers. He also highlighted the role of indigenous communities, particularly the Mising community, in preventing infiltrators from settling in Upper Assam.

Launching a scathing attack on Congress leaders, Shah accused Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting the North East and said the Congress had nothing to offer Assam except unrest, corruption and insecurity. He claimed that during decades of Congress rule, Assam received little development, contrasting it with what he described as transformative changes under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Shah listed several infrastructure and development initiatives undertaken by the BJP governments, including roads, bridges, medical institutions and industrial projects, asserting that development has reached both tribal and non-tribal areas. He said the BJP’s vision for Assam is inclusive growth backed by strong security and decisive governance.

The Union Home Minister also paid tribute to the legacy of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and criticised the Congress for its alleged failure to respect Assam’s contributions and aspirations. He reiterated that development would remain the BJP’s core poll plank and that the party is fully prepared to contest the elections with a clear agenda.

Assembly elections in Assam are due in a few months. Shah concluded his visit by stating that the BJP would contest the polls with confidence, banking on its development record, firm stance on infiltration and a promise of a safe and prosperous Assam.