The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on a dual strategy of welfare distribution and Hindu nationalist identity to win a third consecutive term in Assam’s state assembly election, which begins this Thursday.
At a recent campaign rally in the industrial town of Jagiroad, party supporters gathered to endorse the government’s performance. Among them was 38-year-old Amoiya Medhi, who credited the administration for its direct financial support.
“This government has done so much for everyone, including women,” Medhi said. “I am going to only vote for the BJP.”
Her sentiment reflects a broader push by the party to solidify its base through schemes like Orunodoi. On March 10, the state government disbursed 9,000 rupees to nearly four million women, a move timed strategically just weeks before voters head to the polls.
A polarized political landscape
Chief Minister Himanta Sarma, who is seeking his third term, has built his political brand on a combination of populist economic policies and a staunchly pro-Hindu platform. Critics, however, argue this approach masks a xenophobic campaign against the state’s large Muslim population.
Muslims account for 34 percent of Assam’s 31 million residents. Among them are nine million Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom have faced decades of scrutiny regarding their citizenship status. The BJP has frequently characterized these communities as undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh, leading to the creation of special tribunals and detention centers.
Nitin Nabin, the BJP’s national president, addressed the rally in Jagiroad, emphasizing that the party’s welfare initiatives are designed to benefit the Assamese people specifically. The rhetoric plays into a long-standing narrative that positions the BJP as the sole protector of local Hindu identity against external threats.
For many voters, the tangible benefits of state aid outweigh the broader political tensions. The upcoming election will test whether this combination of financial incentives and ideological campaigning is enough to sustain the BJP’s dominance in the northeastern state.
