Guwahati: With campaigning intensifying ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday promised greater autonomy for indigenous communities in Assam, pledging full implementation of Article 244(A) if the Congress is voted to power.
Addressing a rally in Karbi Anglong in support of Congress candidate Raton Engti from the Bokajan constituency, Gandhi said the constitutional provision would enable local communities to exercise greater control over governance.
“Once Article 244(A) is implemented, no one from Guwahati will rule the people of Karbi Anglong. The power to take decisions will rest with you,” he said, describing the provision as a safeguard for indigenous rights and a mechanism for decentralised decision-making.
He said the Congress had introduced Article 244(A) with the intent of ensuring that decisions affecting local communities are taken at the grassroots level. “Your leaders will govern you and ensure your rights are protected,” he added.
Sharpening his attack on the BJP-led government, Gandhi accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of corruption and alleged that governance in the state was being controlled by the Centre.
In a strongly worded speech, he claimed that land in Assam was being taken from local communities and allocated to large corporate groups. Naming business figures such as Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, and Baba Ramdev, he alleged that substantial land parcels had been handed over for various projects.
“Three big corporate houses have been given around 98,400 bighas of land in Assam. This land was taken from the people. Assam has been turned into a land ATM,” he said.
Gandhi further asserted that a Congress government would take action against corruption. “Those who are speaking loudly now will fall silent. Action will be taken,” he said.
Outlining the party’s welfare agenda, he promised monthly financial assistance for women and Rs 1,250 for senior citizens. He also pledged to provide permanent land pattas to 10 lakh indigenous people, replacing the existing system of annual allotments. In addition, the Congress has proposed a cashless health insurance cover of Rs 25 lakh per family.
Referring to the death of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore last year, Gandhi said the party would ensure “justice within 100 days” if elected to power, describing the artiste as a symbol of Assam’s plural identity.
He also criticised the BJP’s governance model, alleging excessive centralisation, and took aim at the Centre’s economic policies, including the India–U.S. trade arrangement, which he claimed was not in the country’s interest.
With the Congress stepping up its campaign in key tribal regions, Gandhi’s remarks underscored the party’s attempt to foreground autonomy, land rights, and welfare as central issues in the Assam elections.