Karimganj: BJP man Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam is also the man responsible to bring BJP to power in the region after switching parties from Congress to BJP is sloganeering for Modi, urging voters to re-elect the PM to preserve the state’s religious national identity.
He is cautious not to mention the NRC or the citizenship amendment bill that has deeply polarized the voters in the regions where many individuals are left with no national identity, Indian Express reports.
In the Muslim-dominated Karimganj, Sarma claimed that Assam has peacefully lived in the “most secular way” until 2006 and that communal politics only began in the region after Badruddin Ajmal formed the first communal party (All India United Democratic Front) and when a section of Muslims started opposing NRC.”
“We had appealed to the Muslim community against the idea of forming Muslim exclusive political parties. Even in 2006 (when still with Congress), I said in many interviews that if Ajmal went ahead with it, then Assamese people will have to create a defence mechanism,” he said.
It was only after Ajmal BJP gained it’s ground in the region he claimed and now Muslims will not want to vote for BJP he added.
“I believe there is goodwill but it will not translate into votes. I have found that in the elections already held in five seats, 99% of Muslims have voted for Congress. Although we worked very hard, they voted against BJP. But Hindus haven’t voted that way,” he says.
I am no longer appeasing politics he said referring to his former party.