Assam Congress President criticizes Himanta Biswa Sarma’s governance, says violence is not the way to win elections

Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah held a press conference today in Guwahati, where he sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its governance and election strategies. He said that the Congress party is focused on constructive dialogue rather than conflict and said, “BJP came to fight with machaatte (machetes), stones and sticks. We do not contest elections like this.”

Borah outlined the primary agenda for the upcoming bye-elections, stressing the need to evaluate the promises made by the BJP government in their vision document over the past eight years. He pointed out that the Congress party intends to discuss critical issues, including the wages of tea workers, which he highlighted as an ongoing concern in Assam.

Addressing the media, Borah raised significant questions about the BJP's employment promises. He referred to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s lofty declarations of providing government jobs to youth, noting that in the recent Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE) for 12,000 positions, a staggering 32 lakh candidates had applied. “If we suppose that 1 lakh candidates get the job, what will happen to the remaining 31 lakh candidates?” Borah questioned.

Borah further critiqued the BJP's handling of infrastructure and disaster management, particularly in Guwahati. He expressed concern over the deaths of children due to poor drainage systems and flooding, stating, “When it comes to Guwahati floods, the BJP politicizes the situation, discussing ‘white water,’ ‘red water,’ and ‘black water,’ instead of addressing the real issues.” He accused the current government of taking on excessive debt, revealing that the Himanta Biswa Sarma administration has amassed a debt of over 1 lakh 10 thousand crores in just eight years, compared to a state debt of 42 thousand crores before BJP came to power.

Borah contrasted the present situation with the previous Congress administration under Tarun Gogoi, where even minor loans were heavily scrutinized by the BJP. “The state is running on debt; salaries are being paid with borrowed money,” he said.

Borah reiterated the Congress party's commitment to a peaceful and issue-based electoral campaign. “We want to discuss all these issues. We do not believe in violence or contesting elections through intimidation,” he said.