NDA sweeps Assam panchayat polls.
Credit: PTI File photo
Guwahati: The BJP and its allies registered a landslide victory in the Assam panchayat polls, the results of which were announced on Tuesday.
The BJP and its allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and a few smaller parties, bagged 300 out of 397 Zila Parishad (ZP) seats and 1,436 Anachalik Panchayats (AP) out of 2,192 seats, spread across 27 districts.
The Opposition Congress and a few other parties, which contested the polls separately, failed to make much stride ahead of the Assembly elections.
Calling the victory 'unprecedented', Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the poll outcome was a booster for the ruling party ahead of the Assembly elections. "We did not expect so much. But we are overwhelmed by the people's love and endorsements to the development works we have done under Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's leadership. We are confident that people would vote for us in the Assembly elections too," Sarma said.
Minority votes
Sarma said one of the major highlights of the panchayat polls was the victory of BJP candidates in several Muslim-dominated seats. "In at least three panchayats in Barpeta, Nalbari and Jaleswar, having 90 to 100% Muslim voters, BJP candidates registered victory. We never thought about victory in such seats. Muslim women overwhelmingly voted for us this time as we provided them benefits under our monthly cash benefit scheme, Arunodoi, provided relief from triple talaq and we saved them by launching a crackdown against child marriage. Gradually, the minority communities have started realising that the Narendra Modi government is not anti-Muslim," he said.
BJP's state unit president, Dilip Saikia said many panchayats would become opposition-less this time.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said party workers contested the polls braving threats and harassment by the ruling party. He exuded confidence that Congress would bounce back in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Akhil Gogoi, leader of Raijor Dal, said although the victory of the ruling party candidates in panchayat polls was not an unusual phenomenon, the inability of the opposition parties to unite and contest together helped the BJP more.