Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Credit: PTI Photo
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that there is no point in voting for Congress candidates as they will ultimately go on to join the BJP.
Several Congress leaders have defected to the BJP recently. "Whether they win or lose is a different matter but the question is whether the candidate will remain in the Congress," Sarma told reporters after campaigning for the BJP in the two constituencies of Barak Valley-Silchar and Karimganj.
He said now nobody wants to remain in the Congress but they are eager to join the BJP.
This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's credit that they want to join the BJP, he claimed, saying, "The PM is the Sun and we are all moons around him."
"Therefore, there is no point in voting for the Congress. Besides, barring one candidate, I can bring all others contesting from the party to BJP," said Sarma.
Several Congress leaders, including its former working president Rana Goswami, left the party to join the BJP while Congress MLAs Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Basanta Das last month said they have decided to “support the government” for its developmental works.
Asked about the minority voters who are traditionally Congress supporters, the chief minister said, "There is nothing called minority or majority. People will vote for the PM and his policy of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas."
Sarma said, "The minority factor is not an issue. We are working for the minorities and now for the first time, youth from the community are getting jobs without giving money as a bribe. Did they ever get jobs during Congress rule?"
He claimed the BJP will win the minority-dominated constituencies of Karimganj and Nagaon comfortably. Asked about Lok Sabha Deputy Leader of the Opposition Gaurav Gogoi, contesting from Jorhat, the chief minister said that he would lose by a huge margin.
Assam has 14 constituencies with BJP holding nine, and Congress three. The AIUDF and an independent has one seat each in the outgoing Lok Sabha.
The NDA alliance in the state is contesting in all the 14 seats with the BJP announcing candidates in 11 seats while its alliance partners-the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will contest in two seats and the United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL) in one.
The Congress, a constituent of the 16-party United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA), will contest in 12 seats and has left the Dibrugarh seat for AJP while there has been no decision yet for the Lakhimpur seat.
Assam polls will be held in three phases on April 19, 26 and May 7.