Congress dares CM to outperform Northeastern neighbours in per capita income

Guwahati, Jan. 5: The Congress has issued a bold challenge to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, urging him to surpass the per capita income of neighbouring Northeastern states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.

The challenge was made by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Bhupen Borah during a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan on Sunday.

Borah, addressing the state’s economic standing, pointed out that Assam lags behind the said states in terms of per capita income.

"Among the Northeastern states, Assam is behind Arunachal, Mizoram, and Meghalaya in per capita income. If the Chief Minister truly has the capacity, and with the ‘double-engine’ government in place, I challenge him to ensure that Assam's per capita income surpasses that of Arunachal, Meghalaya, and Mizoram," said Borah.

Borah highlighted that Assam need not aim to be among the top 10 states in terms of per capita income before the 2026 elections, as it would be an unrealistic goal in such a short time frame.

Further critiquing the state’s economic progress, Borah pointed out that Assam’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is far from the top ranks.

"The Chief Minister claims Assam is to be among the top 5 developed states in India. But if you look at statistics of the top 10 states with the highest GSDP, you won't find Assam there. States like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat dominate the list," he said, adding that for 2023-24, Assam's GSDP stands at Rs 6,43,089 crore.

Borah did not hold back in his criticism of the Chief Minister’s leadership style, accusing him of being a “credit monger” and focusing only on self-promotion.

“The Chief Minister says Assam is shining, but the reality is that only he and his associates, along with a few non-Assamese contractors and capitalists, are benefiting. Assam, as a whole, is not shining,” Borah added.

Drawing a comparison to the BJP-led government’s 2004 "India is Shining" campaign, Borah concluded, “Just as the 2004 slogan was answered by the election of Congress’ Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, in 2026, the people of Assam will respond to the BJP’s leadership.”

The APCC president also reminded the Chief Minister that his current tenure will end in 490 days, with a countdown set to begin once 400 days remain.