‘Visits India only during polls’: Nitin Nabin targets Congress in Mangaldai rally

Mangaldai, April 4: Launching a sharp political attack ahead of the final phase of campaigning, BJP national president Nitin Nabin dubbed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a “part-time politician who visits India during elections and returns to foreign countries once polls are over.”

Addressing a massive rally at Dighirpar Rash Khola field near Mangaldai on Friday, Nabin’s remarks set the tone for an aggressive pitch by the BJP as the Assam Assembly elections enter the decisive stretch.

Campaigning for party candidates Nilima Devi (Mangaldai), Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi (Sipajhar), and Bikan Deka (Tangla), Nabin contrasted the BJP’s governance record with what he described as years of instability under Congress rule.

“It was only after 2014–16, when BJP governments came to power at the Centre and in Assam, that an atmosphere of peace, prosperity, and possibilities replaced the earlier era of fear and disturbances,” he said.

Invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on the Northeast, Nabin reiterated that Assam remains central to the government’s development vision.

“Modi ji believes that India cannot progress without the progress of the Northeast,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister’s frequent visits to the State reflect his “deep respect and commitment” to its people.

Drawing a comparison with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Nabin claimed that Modi had visited Assam “around 70 times” during his tenure, a figure he said stands in contrast to Singh’s engagement with the State despite representing it in Parliament.

Nabin also praised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led State government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, crediting it with reclaiming large tracts of government land from “infiltrators,” whom he alleged were earlier patronised by Congress regimes.

“The present government has taken decisive steps to free government land and restore law and order,” he asserted.

Speaking at the rally, State BJP president and MP Dilip Saikia exuded confidence in the party’s electoral prospects.

“The BJP will win Mangaldai, Sipajhar, and Tangla seats by huge margins,” Saikia said.

With high-pitched rhetoric and targeted attacks on the opposition, the BJP’s campaign in Assam is entering its final stretch, with leaders seeking to consolidate support through a mix of development claims and political contrasts.