Assam prepares for a highly polarised Assembly election on April 9. The ruling BJP uses the “infiltrator” issue to seek a third term. Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently promised to drive out all illegal immigrants. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma threatened to use bulldozers against “Bangladeshi” encroachers. BJP workers even gave Sarma a “bulldozer salute” during the recent Jan Ashirwad Yatra.

The Congress Party challenges these claims. It argues the government merely shifts evicted people to other locations. Opposition leaders accuse the BJP of targeting Muslims to hide land transfers. They claim the state gave 40,000 bighas of tribal land to private corporations.

This election is the first since the 2023 delimitation exercise. That process reduced Muslim-majority seats from 29 to 22. The contest features a direct fight for the Chief Minister post. Sarma faces Gaurav Gogoi, the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress. Gogoi recently launched the Samay Parivartan Yatra to reach more voters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam on March 13 to support the BJP. He highlighted cash payouts to farmers and infrastructure growth. Meanwhile, the Sarma government transferred ₹3,600 crore to 40 lakh women via the Orunodoi scheme. Each woman received ₹9,000 as a pre-election bonus. The BJP relies on these beneficiaries to retain power.

The opposition alliance includes Congress, Raijor Dal, and Left parties. They raise issues regarding the Scheduled Tribe status for six indigenous communities. They also highlight a “chargesheet” alleging corruption against Sarma’s family. The BJP remains confident despite these attacks. It aims to consolidate the Hindu vote through a strong Hindutva narrative. This strategy further divides the electorate along religious lines before the single-phase vote.

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