BJP now first choice, Congress lost people's faith: PM Modi in poll-bound Assam

Guwahati: The verdict of the elections in the past couple of years in the country suggest that BJP has become the first choice of the nation whereas Congress lost faith of the people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday while addressing a public meeting in poll-bound Assam.

"People's trust for BJP is growing. In Bihar, despite being in power for 20 years, people recently gave record votes and seats. Two days ago, in Maharastra, the results of mayoral and councillor elections including in Mumbai, which is one of the largest urban corporations, have given a record verdict to BJP for the first time. People in most towns of Maharastra have given BJP a chance to serve," Modi said after laying foundation stone for infrastructure projects worth Rs. 6,950 crores that includes an 35km-long elevated corridor passing through famous Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

In the South, in Kerala earlier, Modi said the people gave BJP a significant support, with the party winning a mayoral post for the first time in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram.

"Such results clearly show that voters want good governance and development, with focus on both progress and heritage, and therefore they are choosing BJP."

Target Congress:

Targetting the Opposition Congress, Modi said the results also conveyed the message that the country was consistently rejecting the "negative politics" of the opposition party.

"Look at Mumbai, the city where the opposition party was born, it has now been reduced to the fourth or fifth position. In Maharashtra, where they ruled for decades, it has completely shrunk. The opposition has lost the trust of the nation because it has no agenda for development, and such a party can never serve the interests of Assam or Kaziranga."

The PM said the BJP government ended poaching of rhinos at Kaziranga, world's biggest home for one-horned rhinos, which was a serious issue in 2013 and 2014. He mentioned that tough steps taken by the BJP-led government checked poaching and Kaziranga recorded no poaching in 2025.

Modi also alleged that Opposition Congress, during its decades-long rule, handed over Assam’s soil to infiltrators merely for votes and government formation. He said that during the opposition rule, infiltration kept increasing, and these infiltrators, with no concern for Assam’s history, culture or faith, carried out widespread encroachments. He added that infiltration led to encroachment in animal corridors, promoted illegal poaching, and increased smuggling and other crimes. He said BJP government was "effectively tackling" infiltration, freeing forests, historic cultural sites and people’s lands from illegal encroachments.

Fighting against the "infiltrators" is BJP's main poll plank in Assam to counter Congress and its allies in the Assembly elections slated in March-April. BJP and its allies has set the target to form government for the third straight term in Assam.

"Like Bihar, people of Assam too will deliver a strong response to opposition," Modi said.