Assamese Muslims have set their mood, moving towards BJP: Himanta Biswa Sarma ahead of Assembly polls

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 10 said that Assamese Muslims have “set their mood” politically, claiming that many from the community are extending support to him and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Addressing the media, Sarma said members of the Assamese Muslim community have shown their support by contributing money ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 11,000, adding that these gestures reflect their confidence in his leadership.

The Chief Minister also claimed that Assamese Muslims see themselves as a separate ethnic community and are culturally different from what he referred to as “Miya Muslims”. According to him, members of the Assamese Muslim community have spoken about these distinctions in television programmes and public discussions.

Sarma further said that in the past a large section of Assamese Muslims had supported the Indian National Congress, while many had also voted for the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) during and after the Assam Movement. However, he claimed that the political inclination of the community has been changing over the years and that the BJP is now gaining their support.

“As far as Assamese Muslims are concerned, they have already set their mood. Earlier many of them supported the Congress, around 50–60 per cent were there, but now they are moving towards the BJP,” Sarma said.