BJP eyeing for Assam

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already started its preparations for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Assam. The party’s national general secretary Pramod Mahajan has identified a number of potential issues, beyond illegal migrants.
Apart from illegal immigrants the plight of tea tribes, flood problem, the failure of the ruling Congress to develop the socio-economic condition of rural Assam and unemployment are some of the key areas to be focussed by the party in the polls.
BJP is banking upon growing discontent among the powerful tea tribes, who could influence the outcome in at least 35 assembly seats, out of a total 126. Poor wage structure, lack of healthcare facilities and the failure of the ruling congress to revive the sick tea gardens were some of the factors plaguing them. Mr Mahajan was on visit to to assess the ground realities. During his stay in Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Tinsukia, he interacted with district and block level leaders and workers of the party and listened to their suggestions to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

The BJP leader had spent considerable time in upper Assam districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Jorhat, which saw the recent exodus of suspected Bangladeshis following the socio-economic boycott call by some vigilant groups. Encouraged by Mr. Mahajan’s visit, convenor of the tea cell of the BJP, Kamakshya Tasha claimed that in the coming Assembly polls the Congress would be wiped out from the tea belts of Assam. For the Congress some erosion in its tea belt vote bank had taken place. It was evident during the 2004 Lok Sabha polls when the AGP candidate and former AASU leader Sarbananda

Sonowal defeated the Congress at its stronghold in Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat. Notwithstanding the AGP's success in Dibrugarh, the BJP is optimstic of making inroads in the tea belt as the tea tribes by nature were always inclined to any national party.The BJP is also set to highlight the perennial flood and erosion problem in Assam, stagnation of rural development, corruption in the Panchayats, poor power supply, unemployment and other related issues. Mr Mahajan had asked the block and district level leaders to identify constituency-specific local issues to attract the voters. Mr Mahajan also stressed the need of forming booth level committess and asked the state level leaders to work out strategies in consultation with grasroot level workers.
During his interaction with the party workers, Mr Mahajan underlined the need of strengthening the organisation of the party on its own to emerge as a viable alternative to the Congress. Mr Mahajan compared the recent exodus of suspected Bangladeshis
from different districts following non-violent protests by Assamese people similar to the Quit India movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi against the British

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