Yatras roll across Assam as BJP, Congress take battle to streets

Guwahati/Jorhat, March 1: With the Assembly elections drawing closer, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) intensified their outreach on Sunday, holding massive rallies across the state in a bid to consolidate support.

The BJP continued the second day of its “Jana Aashirwad Yatra”, beginning from Jagiroad and moving through Morigaon, Raha and Nagaon. The Congress, meanwhile, pressed ahead with its statewide “Somoy Poriborton Yatra”, projecting it as a campaign for political change.

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the yatra, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed surprise at the public turnout.

“It is not possible for a man of my age to stand continuously for 14 hours. Yesterday night even I was wondering about its possibility. But I feel people forget tiredness when they see people’s love and support,” Sarma said.

Referring to the response in Jagiroad, he added, “Such visuals have never happened in Assam. I believe people have given the election results early. I am satisfied that people are acknowledging what we have done in the last five years, and I hope they will give us a very strong mandate this time.”

Responding to questions about the presence of bulldozers during the yatra in Jagiroad, Sarma said he was receiving diverse feedback from people, ranging from employment and land rights to appreciation for action against illegal encroachments.

“This is a message that this time 1.5 bighas of land was evicted; next time 5 lakh bighas will be evicted. No illegal Bangladesh infiltrators will be able to live peacefully in Assam,” he said.

At the time of filing this report, BJP's “Jana Aashirwad Yatra” had reached Raha.

On the other side of the political spectrum, APCC president Gaurav Gogoi, accompanied by senior leaders, entered Tingkhong in Dibrugarh district as part of the “Somoy Poriborton Yatra”.

Gogoi later offered prayers at Raidongia Bor Namghar and sought blessings from the people.

APCC Chief Gaurav Gogoi at Tingkhong, Dibrugarh along with party members campaigning under their "Somoy Poriborton Yatra" (Photo: AT)

On alliance talks with the Raijor Dal, Gogoi said, “An alliance proposal has already been extended to the Raijor Dal. Now we are waiting for their response.”

However, reports that the Congress may cede certain stronghold constituencies to alliance partners sparked unrest among party workers.

Agitated workers from Khuwang and Sissiborgaon gheraoed Gogoi in Dibrugarh, expressing concern that their seats might be handed over to allies. They asserted that they would not allow the two constituencies to be ceded.

Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia defended the Congress campaign and criticised the ruling party’s governance.

“People want transformation and change as they have been given false promises — ST status to six communities, increase in tea workers’ wages, a super express highway over the Brahmaputra and others. None of these promises have been fulfilled,” Saikia said.

The Congress also held organisational meetings across the state with booth- and mandal-level workers and distributed election funds as part of its poll preparedness drive.

Financial assistance was disbursed through the presidents of 31,486 booth committees spanning 35 districts and 2,732 mandals.

Extended executive meetings of the District Congress Committees (DCCs) were also convened statewide under the leadership of respective district presidents.

As both parties ramp up their campaigns, Sunday’s rallies underscored an intensifying political contest, with development claims, alliance arithmetic and emotive issues shaping the narrative ahead of the Assembly polls.