GUWAHATI, Oct 5 - The ruling BJP is aiming for a clean sweep in the State�s �tea belt� in next year�s Assembly elections.
It believes that the �social welfare measures� of the BJP-led government targeting the tea community as well as the ruling party�s organisational work in the tea garden areas will help it in achieving the target.
�We are fully confident of sweeping the 2021 elections in the tea belt. We have managed to further consolidate our organisational base in the tea garden areas and increase our support among the tea community electorate since the previous Assembly polls,� president of the State BJP�s Tea Morcha Prohlad Gowala told this newspaper on Monday.
He said that the saffron party has started its electoral preparations in the tea belt.
�We performed well in the constituencies dominated by the tea community during the 2016 Assembly elections. However, the Congress managed to hold on to some of the seats. For example, we lost Doomdooma by a narrow margin in the last polls. The Congress also won from Nazira, Mariani, Titabor, Sarupathar and Lakhipur. Therefore, during the past four and a half years we made attempts to spread our footprints further in the tea belt. As a result of it, we have managed to consolidate our base in the tea gardens to an even larger extent, besides in building up a strong cadre base and in creating some very active local level leaders,� Gowala said.
He added, �We did very well in Doomdooma in the panchayat elections of 2018. In Mariani we were ahead of our rivals in last year�s Lok Sabha elections. Likewise, we have improved our position in the other constituencies which we lost in the 2016 elections. Therefore, we believe that BJP will be able to wrest Doomdooma, Nazira, Mariani, Sarupathar and Lakhipur, among other seats, in 2021. At the same time, we are sure of retaining the constituencies which we won in the previous elections.�
Gowala said that �development� will be BJP�s major poll plank in the tea belt.
�The Sarbananda Sonowal-led State government has taken up a number of schemes and initiatives targeting the tea tribes. And unlike what used to be the case during the days of the Congress regimes, our schemes have reached the targeted beneficiaries as this government has succeeded in removing the middlemen. The government�s schemes have covered all sections of the tea community, including youths, women, garden workers and senior citizens. So, our message will be of development,� Gowala said.
He exuded confidence that the government�s initiative to allot land pattas to the tea tribes, among other communities, will help the BJP in the coming elections.
Asked about attempts being made by the Congress party to regain support among the tea community voters, Gowala said, �Congress can dream of revival in the tea belt but the fact is that BJP�s performance this time in the tea belt will be better than what we managed in 2016. Congress was the dominant force in the tea belt of Assam for many decades. Yet they failed to even address the basic problems faced by the community.�
