Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the BJP’s manifesto for the Assam assembly elections, emphasizing commitments to protect land, heritage, and the dignity of indigenous people, alongside a proposed Rs 5 lakh crore infrastructure investment. The manifesto, termed ‘Sankalp Patra,’ includes 31 pledges such as recovering encroached land from Bangladeshi “Miyas”, implementing a Uniform Civil Code, and enhancing state development with job creation for youth. Sitharaman asserted that the manifesto reflects a decade of transformation in Assam that the Congress party failed to achieve in 60 years.
She highlighted the state’s economic growth, noting Assam’s GDP rose 3.3 times from Rs 2.24 lakh crore in 2015-16 to an expected Rs 7.41 lakh crore by 2025-26, and per capita income increased significantly from Rs 1.03 lakh in 2020-21 to Rs 1.59 lakh in 2024-25. Furthermore, Assam’s share of central taxes has surged from Rs 10,000 crore under Congress to Rs 50,000 crore, supplemented by a Rs 27,000 crore interest-free loan from the Centre. Sitharaman promoted the concept of a ‘double-engine government’ aimed at fostering a globally competitive environment to attract Assamese talent back to the state.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma detailed promises within the manifesto, indicating the enactment of the UCC with specific exceptions and an agenda to address ‘love jihad.’ He committed to a flood-free Assam with an investment of Rs 18,000 crore over the next two years and the goal of creating 2 lakh jobs in five years, with initiatives to establish One District, One Medical College, One University, and One Engineering College. Meanwhile, State BJP President Dilip Saikia affirmed the party’s readiness for the elections, declaring their resolve to make Assam secure and developed, having received 2.45 lakh suggestions from across the state to inform the Sankalp Patra.