HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 4: The state BJP chief Bhabesh Kalita has expressed confidence that Muslims would support the saffron party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“The Muslim community has shown a declining interest in Congress. They are disillusioned by the opposition’s treatment of minority issues. Muslims are now more aware of Congress’s tactics and are unlikely to support them in this election,” Kalita stated during a media interaction in Guwahati on Thursday.
Highlighting the BJP’s focus on development, Kalita claimed that many Muslims are inclined to vote for the BJP due to their aspirations for progress.
“Development is a universal desire, and the BJP has been committed to a development-centric approach. Assam has witnessed significant advancement across various sectors in recent years, which has resonated with the Muslim community,” he added.
Kalita further predicted that the BJP would secure victory in at least 13 out of Assam’s 14 Lok Sabha seats.
It is noteworthy that the BJP has fielded candidates in 11 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. The United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) is contesting one seat in the Bodoland region, while the BJP’s ally partner, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), has fielded candidates in two constituencies, namely Barpeta and Dhubri.
It is worth mentioning that Assam, which shares its boundaries with countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar, has 14 Lok Sabha seats — the highest in any northeastern state.
The 2024 general elections will be held in seven phases starting on April 19 and concluding on June 1. In Assam, voting will be held in three phases on April 19, April 26 and May 7. The counting of votes will be done on June 4.
