Himanta Biswa Sarma warns parties against aligning with APHLC in Karbi Anglong

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 24 asserted that any political party that aligns with the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) would “drown” electorally and risk damaging its own prospects in Karbi Anglong.

Addressing the presser, Sarma claimed that voters in the hill district do not favour the APHLC or its style of politics. He alleged that if the APHLC returns to prominence, Karbi Anglong could witness a revival of what he described as the “old days” marked by bandhs, protests and unrest.

“The way they do politics, the old Karbi Anglong will return — with dharnas and protests. That is why the public will not vote for them or any party supporting them,” the Chief Minister said.

He further remarked that while the APHLC may secure some votes, as “in any society different people survive,” it would not command broad public backing.

The Chief Minister made the remarks while attending a programme in Bokajan Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC), where he distributed the first instalment of financial assistance under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan (MMUA) to thousands of women beneficiaries.

Emphasising the scale of the initiative, he stated that the event marked the 115th meeting under the scheme and that assistance was being disbursed in the 115th constituency out of Assam’s total 126 constituencies. He added that more than 28.61 lakh women have already benefited from the programme and announced that an additional four lakh women will be brought under its coverage in the coming days.

The APHLC, a regional political formation with historical roots in the hill areas of Assam, has yet to formally respond to the Chief Minister’s remarks.