Assam CM accuses Congress of dynastic politics in Samaguri by-poll push

Guwahati, Nov 7: In a departure from his routine by-poll campaign pitch of “vote for BJP as it’s in power”, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reverted to the BJP's familiar critique of the Congress—dynastic politics - in by-poll-bound Samaguri on Thursday.

Highlighting that dynastic politics can "never be beneficial for the people", the Chief Minister went all out against the Congress during a public meeting at Samaguri Higher Secondary School Playground.

“A month ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I were having a conversation, during which he pointed out that the Congress began a tradition of fielding family members instead of offering opportunities to others. He highlighted that such dynastic politics cannot benefit the people and would discourage young individuals who want to serve their communities from entering politics," he told a massive gathering.

The Chief Minister added that the Prime Minister had urged him to work over the next five years to enable over 1.5 lakh young people to enter politics. He further stressed that a political career should be built on hard work, “not on one’s father's name”.

"Take my own background for example—my father was never an MLA of the Jalukbari constituency. I didn’t enter politics using my father’s name. Similarly, leaders in the BJP and allied parties have also risen without relying on their family’s legacy," he said, drawing a parallel with Congress leaders such as Debabrata Saikia, Rakibul Hussain, and Tanzil Hussain, among others.

The Chief Minister had already set the stage for a fierce battle in Samaguri ahead of his visit, announcing that he had directed the police to investigate the employment opportunities provided by Dhubri MP Hussain during his tenure as the state’s Home Minister.

This announcement followed Hussain's remarks that those who secured employment through him during his ministerial tenure had switched to the BJP out of fear of transfer.

In response, Hussain, on Wednesday, welcomed the probe, asserting that there were no irregularities in the recruitment process under his leadership. “The candidates recruited under my tenure have won cases in the Supreme Court when they were accused of involvement in a scam,” he claimed.

The Chief Minister assured that he would fulfil the demands of the people in the Samaguri constituency within the next year and a half. "Following the request of the workers at the Amluckee Tea Estate, they will receive a daily wage of Rs. 250 starting January 1, 2025," he announced.

The Chief Minister also confirmed that various development projects, including the conversion of Samaguri Higher Secondary School into a model school, the up-gradation of Singimari Hospital, and road development in Samaguri, would be completed within the next 18 months.

"Over 15,000 new families in Samaguri will receive the Orunodoi scheme within the next two months," he added. Exuding confidence, the Chief Minister expressed his belief that BJP candidate Diplu Ranjan Sarma would win by a margin of 30,000 votes.