HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 29: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday used the massive gathering of panchayat representatives at Khanapara to showcase his government’s achievements and deliver a fiery political message aimed squarely at the Congress and its allies.
Addressing more than 21,000 elected representatives, Sarma said the BJP’s sweeping victory in the recent panchayat polls was a “mandate for continuity” and proof of people’s faith in the party. “Out of 397 panchayat seats, we bagged 301. At the ward level, BJP won over 21,900 seats. This verdict is the people’s blessing on the BJP-led alliance,” he declared.
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In a key announcement, the Chief Minister unveiled a new welfare measure for grassroots leaders: from January 1, 2026, the state government will bear the medical expenses of panchayat members and their families.
Sarma reminded the gathering that the BJP came to power in 2016 with the slogan of protecting Assam’s jati, mati, bheti (community, land, and identity), and insisted that the commitment remains unchanged. He reeled off milestones achieved under BJP rule—UNESCO recognition for Charaideo Maidams, classical language status for Assamese, global promotion of Bihu and Jhumur, implementation of the cattle slaughter ban, and big-ticket projects like AIIMS, the new IIM campus, and the proposed Brahmaputra underwater tunnel.
He also highlighted flagship schemes like Orunodoi and the Entrepreneurship programmes for women and youth, calling them “lifelines for the state’s poor and aspirational classes.”
But it was his sharp political attack that drew the loudest response. Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and cleric Maulana Madani, Sarma thundered: “Assam will once again unsheath Lachit’s hengdang (sword) against conspiracies to weaken our land. Through Basundhara we are giving land rights to indigenous people, not outsiders. Not a single inch will be compromised.”
Challenging his opponents directly, Sarma added: “Rahul Gandhi, Madani—if you have the courage, fight politically with the people of Assam. We will build an Assam where Bharat Mata ki Jai resonates, where jobs are given without bribes, and where our identity remains invincible.”
This conclave was widely viewed as the BJP’s first big mobilisation ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, projecting Sarma as the party’s key poll general in Assam.
