BJP slams Assam Congress panchayat manifesto as 'self-deception wrapped in illusion'

In a scathing attack on the Congress party’s recently unveiled Panchayat election manifesto, the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed it as a “document of self-deception,” calling it an illusionary promise from a party that has already lost its grassroots connection.

“The Congress party, which has failed to even field candidates in many regions for the Panchayat elections, is now dreaming of victory—this is nothing more than a grand illusion,” read a statement from the Assam Pradesh BJP. The party further alleged that Congress has sold tickets for lakhs of rupees in minority-dominated areas, while struggling to find credible candidates in indigenous regions—an indication, it said, of the party’s deviation from its foundational roots.

Highlighting the BJP-led alliance’s success, the party noted that several of its candidates have already won unopposed in multiple areas, which it described as a “testament to the overwhelming public support for the NDA.” The BJP asserted that even in regions where Congress harbors hopes of a comeback, voters will ultimately choose the NDA in favor of comprehensive development.

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Addressing the media, Assam BJP spokesperson Lakhya Konwar drew an analogy from a popular Assamese proverb: “Jackfruit on the tree, oil on the lips, yet already ringing the bell”—referring to Congress’s premature celebration in the absence of real groundwork. He labelled the Congress manifesto as a “self-deceptive document” that mocks the very idea of Panchayati Raj reform.

“If Congress had truly prioritized grassroots development during its decades in power, the BJP wouldn’t have had to come in and clean up the mess,” Konwar said. He accused the party of prioritizing tokenism—such as distributing blankets, lungis, and yarn—over real development, which he said led to its alienation from the people.

Taking the criticism further, Konwar alleged that instead of empowering the Panchayati Raj system, the Congress decentralized corruption, turning local governance into a mechanism for misusing funds. He slammed Congress’s new promises as hypocritical, especially its pledge to reform schemes like MGNREGA, which he claimed the party had used as a "marketplace for corruption."