As the election dates in Assam are coming closer, the political temperature has reached its peak. This time the contest in the state is interesting because on the same pitch of ‘corruption’ on which BJP used to corner Congress, now Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi is also batting fiercely. There is such a barrage of allegations between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi that it has created panic in the entire state. Both the leaders are making serious allegations against each other, due to which even the voters have been left wondering. Before the elections to be held on April 9, the politics of Assam has reached a situation of ‘you put up, I take up’.
During the election campaign, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has termed the 15-year rule of Congress as ‘the era of bribery’. Sarma claims that during the time of Congress, bribes of up to Rs 2 lakh had to be paid even for small jobs like Anganwadi. Patting his government on the back, he said that in the last five years, 1.65 lakh government jobs have been given without any corruption. Not only this, he has promised that if BJP comes to power again, 2 lakh more jobs will be given in the next term with complete transparency.
The Chief Minister has made serious allegations to personal and national security to corner Gaurav Gogoi. Sarma claimed that Gaurav Gogoi’s wife has relations with a Pakistani national and confidential information of India has been shared. Citing the SIT report, he has also said that there are some ‘serious’ revelations. BJP is taking Congress to the public by terming it as ‘anti-Assam’ and ‘family centric’ party and is accusing Gogoi of having links with anti-national elements.
In response to these allegations, Gaurav Gogoi and the Congress Party have termed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as a ‘land mafia’. Congress alleges that the Chief Minister and his close associates have captured about 12,000 bighas of land in Assam. Out of this, about 3,960 acres of land is said to be under the control of 17 companies and big corporates of his family. Congress also alleged that in the name of removing encroachment, only a particular community (Muslims) was being targeted and harassed.
Gaurav Gogoi has accused the Assam government of doing politics of fear and intimidation. Recalling the tenure of his father and former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, he said that the people now want peace and development. On the other hand, Himanta Biswa Sarma has made it clear that after coming back to power, the campaign to remove encroachment will be intensified and 5 lakh bighas of land will be vacated and distributed among the poor. Other regional parties like Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad are also opening a front against the Himanta government. Voting will be held in Assam on 9th April and results will be declared on 4th May, till then this war of words is not going to stop.
