With dates for counting of votes approaching, the political parties in Assam have started softening their stand towards pre-poll adversaries, anticipating a hung Assembly. The Assembly election results will be declared on May 19. If the ruling Congress party is confident to return to power on its own, the alliance of regional forces led by the BJP has started an exercise to woo the minorities in the state. In what reflected in the visit of BJP’s minority morcha national president Abdul Rashid Ansari, a week befoe the counting of votes the BJP announced that it intends to make Assam a “model state” for minority development. “With Assam having the highest Muslim population after Jammu and Kashmir, we are thinking of making it a model state for minority development in the country if it comes to power,” said Mr Abdul Rashid Ansari. “Since Narendra Modi came to power, minority affairs, HRD and skill development ministries are working together for overall development of minority community through education and skill development”.
Assam being the state with highest Muslim population after J&K, we want to make it a model state for minority development,” said Mr Ansari.
Confident of BJP forming the next government in Assam Mr Ansari also had meeting with different Muslim organisations of the state on preparing a road map for implementation of promises the saffron party made ahead of the assembly polls for minority welfare in the vision document.
In an effort to instill confidence in Muslim community in case BJP-led government is formed in the state, Ansari said that the first task of the government would be to stop “leakages” of central funds meant for minority welfares in the state.
“Lots of funds from the Centre have come to the state for the development of minorities. But there are allegations of leakages of these funds. Once BJP is in power, we will stop this menace once for all,” asserted Mr Ansari.
He also clarified that in view of the negative campaigns by Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) against the BJP as “anti-Muslims”, it was imperative for them to build confidence among the minority community if the BJP-led government is formed in Assam.
