'Schedule set for Congress leaders to join BJP’: Himanta says party preparing for 2029 Lok Sabha polls

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 23 asserted that he has a “schedule” regarding when Congress leaders are expected to join the BJP, while emphasising that the party has already begun preparations for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

“I have a schedule in which Congress leaders will join us and they will comply with the schedule,” Sarma said, adding that there is a timeline indicating who may join in 2027, 2029 and even 2031. “We have a schedule — when and who should join — and they will go accordingly,” he stated.

The Chief Minister underlined that all elections are equally important for him. “For me, Assembly and Lok Sabha — all are important. Even if someone joins before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, that is significant,” he said, noting that the BJP has already started groundwork for the next general elections.

Speaking on the sidelines of a launch event, Sarma also highlighted a new scheme aimed at strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Under the initiative, FPOs will receive financial and technological support to help them leverage emerging free trade agreements between India and countries such as the UK, the US and the European Union. The objective, he said, is to boost exports of Assam’s specialised agricultural and horticultural products to international markets.

Additionally, the Agriculture Minister Sivarasinghe Sohan announced a new programme under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, under which Assam is set to receive approximately 1,500 kilometres of road infrastructure at an estimated cost of around ₹2,000 crore.

The remarks reflect the BJP’s dual focus on political consolidation and development initiatives as it prepares for upcoming electoral battles at both the state and national levels.