BJP wins 20 Assam civic wards dominated by migrant Muslims

GUWAHATI: Winning a number of Congress-held municipal boards, and some of those where migrant Muslims are in the majority, has been a major success for the ruling BJP in Assam ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, said Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita.

The Congress on the other hand had to bite the dust in the municipal board areas that are represented by its big leaders, state PCC president Bhupen Borah (Bihpuria), leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia (Nazira) and former Assam Congress president Ripun Bora (Gohpur).

Kalita said the BJP thumped victory in nearly 20 municipal wards, where migrant Muslims are in “dominance”. “The BJP has snatched around 10 municipal boards, including Karimganj, Lala, Dhing and Golaghat from the Congress. Migrant Muslims dominated municipal boards like Dhing and Rangia but now the BJP is in majority there,” he said.

The BJP won in Sarbhog and Barpeta municipal boards, where the CPM had a stronghold. “The results of the urban polls have given the BJP a new level of electoral acceptability. People have voted in favour of development,” he added.

The saffron party’s performance in the migrant Muslim inhabited areas was dismal in last year’s assembly election, following which the party had dissolved its minority wing. Incidentally, the BJP has made a comeback in the municipal elections in these areas.

Kalita said, “The reason behind the comeback is development. Moreover, the urban voters always extend support to the BJP. That is why the BJP was never worried about the results.”

The Congress has conceded defeat and said the electors voted in favour of the ruling party which is at the helm of power in the state and the Centre. Assam PCC general secretary (administration) Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee said, “We have the support of two independent candidates in Narayanpur and will form the municipal board there,” he said.

Bhattacharjee felt the results were not shocking. “The second successive government headed by the BJP was installed just eight months ago. Bhattacharjee said people still have faith in the Congress and thus, in all the 80 municipal boards Congress candidates fought against the BJP and its allies.

In the Nazira and Simaluguri municipal boards that fall under Debabrata Saikia’s Nazira constituency, the BJP has won convincingly. In the Bihpuria municipal board, under the Bihpuria constituency in Lakhimpur, represented by Bhupen Borah earlier, the BJP and its allies won in all the 10 wards.