Crucial Sunday

Counting of votes of the 15th Assam Assembly election begins Sunday morning. The people of Assam are looking forward to the result with a lot of expectations and hope. While the 2016 election had led to change of guards at Dispur after 15 years of a Congress-led government, Assam did see a lot of positive things as compared to the three successive Congress regimes. First and foremost was the focus on development, particularly on infrastructure. Work on a number of vital infrastructure projects which were gathering dust during Congress rule were expedited and completed, bringing about sea change in Assam's communication scenario. Secondly, for the first time in several decades, Assam saw a complete absence of ethnic and communal tension and violence during the entire term of the BJP-led government. Nor was there any major activity of militancy. The BJP-led alliance had won the 2016 election largely promising protection of "jaati-maati-bheti" (identity, land and homesteads) of the indigenous communities. Though it did nothing to detect and deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants, in contrast the Centre passed the controversial Citizens (Amendment) Bill to grant Indian citizenship to one section of illegal migrants – the Hindu Bengalis – who pose a direct threat to the Assamese language. But the BJP-led regime did take proactive steps to evict encroachers – mostly illegal migrants – from National Parks and Xatra land. Yet another feather in the cap of the BJP-led regime was the clampdown on corruption, especially in recruitment conducted by the Assam Public Service Commission. Corruption-free recruitment in the Police and Education departments was another positive aspect. There are some more areas in which the BJP-led government had done well. But then, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act prompted a large section of Assamese people to oppose the BJP-led alliance. Moreover, inefficiency and ineffectiveness of a section of ministers and MLAs, over-dependence on NEDA convenor and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BPF's exit, the Congress-AIUDF tie-up, emergence Raijor Dal and Asam Jatiya Parishad, – all these factors contributed in various ways in making the election a tough task for the BJP-led alliance. Almost every exit poll has indicated that the balance is tilted in favour of the BJP-led alliance. But, it will only be by Sunday afternoon that a clear picture will emerge as to which combination or alliance will form the next government in Assam. But the fact remains that Assam wants an efficient and corruption-free government which should refrain from appeasing and protecting the illegal migrants, and which should be able to efficiently handle every crisis – including the fast-emerging Covid situation.