Assam: Lok Sabha polls to be dominated by key issues including CAA, insurgency, child marriage, and infrastructural development

The implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, will be a major poll issue for both the ruling and the opposition parties in Assam.

The polls will be held in the state in three phases on April 19, 26 and May 7. The following are the key issues in the state elections. 

1. Citizenship: The ruling BJP is set to focus on granting citizenship to Hindu Bengali migrants from Bangladesh who arrived prior to December 31, 2014. Opposition parties are expected to highlight the violation of the Assam Accord of 1985.  

2. Insurgency: The BJP is also aiming to end insurgency in the state by negotiating with various militant outfits and offering rehabilitation packages. Opposition parties argue that these talks are meaningless as the ULFA (Independent) remains firm on its stand of sovereignty.

3. Child Marriage:  The BJP claims to be tackling child marriage, a claim which the opposition alleges targets the Muslim community. The proposed UCC, aiming to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935, and make a ban on polygamy effective, has been criticised by opposition parties as discriminatory.

4. Unified Civil Code: The UCC, which the state government wants to bring in by repealing the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935 and a law to make the ban on polygamy effective will also be raised with the opposition parties, particularly the Congress and the AIUDF alleging that it is discriminatory against the Muslims and has been done to polarise the voters in an election year. 

Also Read: Assam: Lok Sabha Elections to be held in 3 phases; dates set for April 19, April 26 and May 7

5. The BJP's Hindutva agenda is expected to be criticised by the opposition, particularly in minority-dominated constituencies. The BJP will also highlight infrastructural development across the state during the last ten years including minority regions.

6. Infrastructural Development: The BJP will highlight the infrastructural development across the state during the last ten years enhancing road, rail, air and internet connectivity. 

7. Wooing women voters: Both the ruling party and the opposition are looking to woo women voters and the tea garden electorate with various initiatives and schemes, such as the Lakhpati Baidew scheme.

8. Tea garden electorate: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to emphasise on their initiatives for the welfare of tea garden workers in their upcoming campaign. These initiatives include the establishment of model schools in garden areas, the provision of banking facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and improvements in health facilities. The opposition, in response, aims to appeal to this significant electorate segment with considerable influence in the Upper Assam constituencies of Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kaziranga, and Sonipur in the North Bank.

9. Industrial development: The Prime Minister recently laid the foundation stone for a Rs 27,000 crore semiconductor assembly and test facility in Assam's Morigaon district. He also announced the Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme (UNNATI), 2024, aimed at enhancing industrial growth in the North East. The BJP is expected to highlight these initiatives. However, the opposition is likely to draw attention to the issue of several industries in the state facing closure, resulting in workers being deprived of their due payments.

10. Employment: The BJP may focus on the steps taken to provide employment to the youth while the opposition will most likely accuse the ruling party of not doing enough to provide jobs to the educated youth, however, the HImanta Biswa Saram has maintained its track record of providing 1 lakh jobs as promised in state assembly poll manifesto.