BJP will retain power in Assam, with at least 100 of 126 Assembly seats in 2021 elections despite the protests against the party over Citizenship Amendment Act, Assam minister and BJP's strategist in the Northeast, Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Wednesday.
Alleging that a fake campaign was being carried out against the party by Congress and some sections over CAA, Sarma, said they had to offer citizenship to Hindu and other non-Muslim migrants till 2014, as Congress failed to ensure the safety of the Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh.
"Congress failed to ensure the protection of the Hindus in Bangladesh and they kept the borders open at the same time. As a result, the Hindus migrated to Assam to avoid persecution or harassment there. Now when we are trying to give citizenship to the Hindus, they are spreading rumours against us. But BJP will not step back an inch from the battle and we will form the government with at least 100 seats," Sarma said while addressing a crowd in Barpeta district in western Assam.
Claiming that there was no illegal migration from Bangladesh since Narendra Modi became India's Prime Minister in 2014, Sarma said, "Hindus in Bangladesh will remain safe as long as Modi is Prime Minister. Let me make it clear again that no post-2014 Hindus will get citizenship through CAA. There is no such provision too."
Sarma claimed that a maximum of four lakh non-Muslim migrants would get citizenship through CAA, in what appeared to be a change in the claim he made recently, that 5.42 lakh people would be benefitted from the amended act.
The saffron part is organising similar meetings in different parts of Assam, in an apparent bid to counter the anger it faced from the indigenous Assamese people after the CAA was passed in the Parliament on December 11.
On the other hand, several organisations, including the influential All Assam Students' Union has also hinted about forming a new political party to counter BJP in 2021.
BJP had won 67 seats in 2016 and formed its first government in Assam with Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People's Front, two regional parties as allies.
