Assam Chief Minister and Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Convenor, Himanta Biswa Sarma, confidently predicted on Thursday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies will secure victory in 22 out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the northeastern region during the upcoming general elections.
Sarma expressed his certainty, stating, “Out of the 25 seats, NDA will win 22. That’s confirmed. We might not win 3 seats in Assam. The figure might increase to 23 seats for us as well. It’s going to be a simple election (for us). Nothing much to worry about.”
During the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 14 seats, while its allies claimed 4, bringing the NDA total to 18. In Assam, the party won 9 seats, with Congress securing 3, and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and an Independent candidate each winning one seat.
Sarma asserted that they will most certainly win 11 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam as there isn’t much competition there. “God willing, we might win 12 as well. Our candidates will win with margins of 100,000-200,000 votes this time. We are not too bothered about the elections and are focusing on development work,” he added.
The BJP is contesting on 11 seats in Assam, while its coalition partners, the Asom Gana Parishad and the United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL), will field candidates in two seats and one seat, respectively.
During a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma also provided details about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Assam, starting Friday. The visit includes the inauguration or laying the foundation stone for central and state government projects worth approximately ₹18,000 crore.
Sarma outlined Modi’s itinerary, stating that the Prime Minister would arrive in Assam on Friday evening and spend the night at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR). The following morning, he would visit the park for around two hours before departing for Arunachal Pradesh, where he would participate in two programs.
The PM is set to deliver 5,55,555 houses to Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana (PMGAY) beneficiaries, inaugurate the new Tinsukia Medical College and Hospital, and lay the foundation stone of Sivasagar Medical College and Hospital. Additionally, a virtual inauguration of a ₹300 crore cancer care unit for children is scheduled.
