Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday promised the people of the Bodo belt of providing equal land rights to every community if BJP is voted to power in the forthcoming BTC polls.
Minister Sarma, who is also the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), also promised transparency in governance in BTC and abolishment of the Village Council Development Committees (VCDCs).
During his campaign for the party as the BTC poll is nearing, finance, health and education minister Sarma came down heavily on the Bodoland People’s Front(BPF).
He alleged that the BPF, which ruled the BTC since its inception, was involved in the misappropriation of funds despite the Centre and the state government released crores of rupees for the development of the region.
Sarma addressed a mass gathering at Orangajuli Tea Estate for BJP candidate of Nonai Serfang BTC constituency, Sanjit Tanti in Udalguri district.
He has banked on the anti-incumbency wave against the BPF, which had been in power for the past 17 years.
BJP leader Sarma said the people of the region now want a change of guards and the Bodo belt will witness new dawn where ‘prosperity, development and equal rights of every community’ will prevail.
Sarma also addressed a gathering of over 4,000 people at Udalguri.
At Udalguri, he said, “BJP reimposed faith on the BPF for three terms but there have been allegations of corruption and snapping of land rights of several communities where people have been refused permissions to sell and procure land.”
The minister promised land rights to every community living in the region if the BJP is voted to power.
Exuding confidence of BJP forming government in the council, the minister promised of making administration in BTC transparent.
Mangaldoi Lok Sabha MP and BJP’s national general secretary, Dilip Saikia also came down heavily on Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
He asserted that BPF has not introduced a single welfare scheme on its own except implementing the welfare schemes of the state and central governments.
State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, former Rajya Sabha MP Santiuse Kujur, Tezpur MP Pallab Lochan Das and Mangaldai MLA Gurujyoti Das also attended the events.
BJP is fielding candidates in 26 constituencies in the 40-member council.