Himanta alleges opposition targeting minority-dominated seats for vote-bank politics

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 21 accused opposition parties, including the Congress and Akhil Gogoi, of focusing on minority-dominated constituencies for electoral gains, describing it as a clear example of vote-bank politics.

Responding to media queries, the Chief Minister said the tussle among opposition parties is not over majority dominated seats like Jorhat or Dibrugarh, but primarily over constituencies such as Goalpara, Dhing, Jonia, Goalpara East, and Birsingh Jorua, which have a significant population of Miya Muslims.

“Be it the Congress or Akhil Gogoi, their contest is driven by minority vote-bank considerations rather than developmental priorities,” he said, adding that his earlier observations on the issue have been indirectly confirmed by the opposition’s seat-sharing disputes.

Mr. Sarma criticised what he described as “appeasement politics,” pointing out that there is no dispute over majority-dominated constituencies. He urged the public to recognise the political motives behind the opposition’s focus on minority seats.