Himanta Biswa Sarma: Bangladeshi-origin minorities voted for Congress in 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on June 23 accused the Bangladeshi-origin minority community of voting overwhelmingly for the Congress in the recent Lok Sabha elections, allegedly disregarding developmental efforts by BJP-led governments. Addressing a felicitation event for BJP candidates, Sarma claimed that despite significant infrastructure and welfare improvements under BJP rule, these communities remained steadfast in their support for the opposition.

Sarma, while analyzing electoral patterns, asserted that the Congress garnered a substantial portion of its votes from minority-dominated areas, where BJP's share was notably low. "This demonstrates that Hindus, in contrast, refrain from communal voting," he asserted, singling out the Bangladeshi-origin minority community for what he labeled as communal tendencies.

The BJP-AGP-UPPL coalition clinched 11 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, with Congress securing the remaining three—a victory Sarma attributed to concentrated minority support in specific constituencies. "Despite lacking basic amenities like roads and electricity, these areas still favored Congress," he said.

Moreover, Sarma accused the minority community of attempting to influence Assam's political landscape in the long term. "Their voting pattern suggests a desire to control Assam's future over the next decade," he said.