MORIGAON, Aug 30 - In a major political development, the Jatiya Oikya Manch� a local political body of Central Assam today formally merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a huge public meeting held at Morigaon School playground. The open meeting held on the occasion was attended by Piyush Hazarika, Minister for State for Health, all the MLAs from Raha, Nagaon, Battadrava, Lumding besides the State leadership of the BJP.
Addressing the gathering, Rama Kanta Deori, MLA, Morigaon who is also the founder of the Jatiya Oikya Manch said that to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the tribal and all other ethnic groups of Central Assam, this political organisation was established in 2013. Protesting the misrule of the then Congress government, his Jatiya Oikya Manch in association with BJP contested the election of Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC) and won the majority of seats in TAC in 2015. Now, the clarion call of the people is to develop the Tiwas and other communities of Central Assam and for this , his Jatiya Oikya Manch should merge with the BJP, the Morigaon MLA said.
Speaking on the occasion, Ranjit Dass, State BJP president said that BJP has not ruined regionalism in the country. Rather its clear-cut policy is � Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. Dass further said that his party is committed to develop all the tribal people of Assam.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, convener, North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and Finance and PWD Minister, Assam said that almost all the ethnic groups of North East are under the banner of BJP today as the party has a clear-cut policy of the development of the tribal people of Assam. �Today is a historic day for the politics of Central Assam as the tribal political outfit of Central Assam has en bloc merged with the BJP,� he said. Referring to the NRC, Dr Sarma said there is nothing to be worried if genuine Indians, whose names are not included in the NRC to be published tomorrow because only the Foreigners Tribunals would be decide the citizenship of a person in Assam as per the Cabinet decision of the Government of India.