Assam polls: Himanta Biswa Sarma to participate in seven election events, CM to address three meetings

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the battle to the Congress in Assam, BJP’s two regional stalwarts —Himanta Biswa Sarma and Sarbananda Sonowal — will address a series of public meetings ahead of the first phase of polls in the state. Sarma, who has been on the campaign trail for months now, has a busy Thursday lined up. The Assam minister has seven public events. He was scheduled to start with his address at a public meeting in Sadiya in the morning.

This was to be followed by two more public meetings in Margherita at 11:30 am and Dergaon at 12:30 pm. Sarma will then move to Bokakhat for another public rally at 1:30 pm . This will be followed by three more rallies in Sarupathar (2:30 pm), Batadroba (03:30 pm), and Biswanath Chariali (04:30pm). Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was slated to begin his day with a rally in Karatipur, Majuli at 10:30 in the morning. He is then scheduled to address another public meeting in Dakhinpat Naohali, Majuli, at noon, followed by his last for the day at Pokajara, Majuli at 1:30 pm.

Sarma and Sonowal’s hectic campaigns come a day after Modi upped the ante against Congress, which not long ago was thought to be out of competition. However, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi campaigning in the state, the party has its hopes high and is looking at challenging the BJP. On Wednesday, however, it was the Congress’ alliance with the AIUDF which was the target for Modi, who said the Congress-led Mahajoth (grand alliance) was a ‘ Mahajooth ’ (grand lie). He added the 125-year-old party lacked both neta (leaders), as well as neeti (principles). According to The Indian Express , at a poll rally in Bihpuria, the prime minister said: “This Mahajooth doesn’t have neta (leaders) or neeti (principles), neither does it have sanskaar (culture) or vichar (ideas).” He added the Congress-led alliance was capable of only two things —“guaranteeing” corruption and infiltration. While the prime minister has targetted Congress for lack of leadership, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has taken jibes at the Sonowal-Sarma duo. Earlier this week, while campaigning in the state, she compared the BJP’s leadership in Assam with “Dhritarashtra” and “Shakuni Mama”, drawing reference from the epic Mahabharata. In the first of the three phases, Assam will see 47 seats go to the polls on 27 March. The results will be declared on 6 May.