Assam BJP banks on its schemes to make inroads into minority areas

GUWAHATI: The ruling BJP in Assam is targeting to win at least seven Muslim-dominated seats even as it trains its sights on winning 100-plus seats in the assembly polls slated for early next year.

State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass told ET, “We are surveying and strategising to field Muslim candidates in 7-8 constituencies. Accordingly, we will send the proposal to the Central leadership.” BJP has only a single Muslim legislator in the present Assam assembly. Dass said, “We have really worked hard and our schemes have benefited every community.

The Muslim community has benefited from the housing scheme, social welfare and developmental schemes launched by our government. The government has rolled out the ‘Orunodoi’ scheme which proposes to alleviate the financial problem of improvised families through substantial income support. This scheme will cover every community.”


Meanwhile, the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front, which has substantial support among the Muslims, is inching closer for seat sharing for the 2021 assembly polls.

Muslims comprise 34% of the 3.12 crore population in Assam. Of these, 4% are indigenous Assamese Muslims, while the rest are Bengali-speaking Muslims. Syed Mominul Awal Goria, national executive member of BJP’s minority Morcha, told ET, “In the last assembly, we got Muslim votes in several constituencies.

The Congress-AIUDF combine will not be able to garner Muslim votes, for Muslims in Assam have seen what the BJP has done.”