NDA sets target to win 100 seats in Assam assembly polls

Guwahati, Aug 29 (PTI) Slamming the Congress over alleged corruption during its tenure, several NDA leaders, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and AGP chief Atul Bora, on Friday set a target of winning 100 of the 126 assembly seats in next year's elections in the state.

Addressing a rally of panchayat representatives here in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Sarma appealed to all to take a pledge of protecting 'jati, mati, bheti' (community, land, foundation) of Assam.

"We will give land to our known people and will snatch away every inch of land from the unknown people. We will not settle down until we achieve our objectives," he added.

Sarma also alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with "Islamic scholar Madani", threatened him in recent times.

"Madani and Rahul Gandhi came and threatened me. We know how to use 'hengdang' (Ahom sword) and give a befitting reply. We need to fight the battle of Saraighat again.

"I challenge Madani and Rahul Gandhi to fight with Assamese people. We will fight and win this battle," he added.

Slamming the opposition party, Sonowal claimed the Congress tenure was marked with "neglect, terrorism and disturbances".

"Forget about development, Congress had kept the Northeast in darkness. They don't have any right to question the BJP government. If Congress had worked even 5 per cent of what the Narendra Modi government has done, Northeast would have developed by now," he added.

The former Assam CM asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi freed the Northeast from darkness and backwardness, and there is peace and development everywhere in the region nowadays.

Bora, a state minister, alleged that the fundamentalist forces had expanded during the Congress tenure.

"But now, there has been an overall improvement in law and order. Many peace accords have been signed with insurgents under the NDA government," he added.

The developmental work in Assam during the tenure of Himanta Biswa Sarma has been very rapid, Bora said.

Claiming that the Congress did "decentralisation of corruption", the AGP president said, "We all will have to work hard with a target of winning 100 seats for the NDA in next year's assembly polls." During the rally, Shah also said that the BJP-led NDA will form the third consecutive government in Assam next year, riding on the back of the massive development work of Modi and Sarma.

Assam Assembly, with 126 seats, is likely to go for elections in March-April next year.

Presently, the ruling BJP's strength in the 126-member Assam Assembly is 64, while its allies AGP has nine MLAs and UPPL has seven.

In the opposition camp, the Congress's strength is 26, AIUDF has 15 members, BPF has three and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is one Independent legislator as well. PTI TR TR ACD