‘Development works will let us win the 2026 Assembly poll with 100 seats’
Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that though three years is too short a period for a government to perform, his government has achieved many milestones in the past three years. He said that the journey of development has reached every nook and corner of the state.
Replying to the debate on the Governor's speech in the State Assembly today, the Chief Minister said, "Change is a reality in Assam. Gone are the days of killings, violence, and agitations in the state. We will not let any quarter take the state back to those dark days. We need a few more years to take the state to a new horizon. I seek support and cooperation from all stakeholders to make that really happen. In the past three years, we took Bihu to the world stage, the saga of Lachit Barphukan's valour to the rest of India, Charaideo Maidam is on the way to being a world heritage site, the number of medical colleges in the state is going to be 25 from three, several bridges over the Brahmaputra have emerged, etc., during these three years. Several other states in the country are following the Orunodoi scheme that we started. The previous governments in the state could have done all such work, but they did not."
He said, "I'm sure that the developmental work we are carrying out in the state will let us win the 2026 Assembly election with not less than 100 seats. The people of the state will continue to remember this government's stand on the war against drugs and crimes."
On tea garden workers and immigrant Muslims, the Chief Minister said, "The last daily wage of tea workers in the state was Rs 115 during the Congress regime. After the BJP came to power in the state, the daily wage of such workers increased to Rs 250. It may go up further in the future. We have set up schools in tea gardens and provided ration cards to garden workers, besides giving them jobs under the MGNREGA. However, several Congress leaders who became chief ministers with the votes of tea garden workers did not do any such work for the wellbeing of garden workers. It is high time the immigrant Muslims blended with the mainstream society of the state. Their former leaders not giving them such advice led to the emergence of outfits like All-Quada, Jehadis, etc., in the state. You need to respect the very language of the land that provides you with the means of your livelihood. You better desist from opposing eviction drives that take place in the sacred places of Borduwa and Barpeta. However, the new generations of Muslims, including girls, have realised many of these issues. The religious minorities in the state continue to remain backward as the Congress leaders treated them only as vote banks over the years."
On the settlement of boundary disputes with the neighbouring states, the Chief Minister said, "We need to live as seven sisters with mutual understanding. We need to shrug off the big brother attitude and desist from hurting the self-respect of the people of the neighbouring states. Gone are the days of politics with surnames. My surname is 'Sarma', yet I did my best to take the saga of valour of Lachit Barphuan to the world."
He said, "The attempt by a Congress leader to take out a rally on January 22, when the Ram Lala was consecrated in Ayodhya, through some sensitive areas in Nagaon and Morigaon districts in Assam, was fraught with the eruption of communal clashes. However, the efficiency on the part of the government and tolerance of the people of the state averted communal clashes."
The Chief Minister appealed to all opposition MLAs not to boycott the Governor's speech with the display of placards in the future. When the President of India addresses the Parliament, nobody boycotts the speech.
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