Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah sounded poll bugle at Koliabor in Assam’s Nagaon district for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
This is the first campaign rally of the BJP’s star campaigner in the State. The BJP national president arrived in Jorhat on Thursday forenoon from where he took a helicopter for Koliabor.
Amit Shah was accompanied by Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP state president Ranjit Dass, AGP leader and state water resources minister Keshab Mahanta among others.
Addressing a mammoth election campaign rally at Koliabor for consensus candidate, Moni Madhav Mahanta of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the BJP national president invoked the great Vaishanavite saints, Shankar Dev and Madhab Dev and other luminaries of the State at the beginning of his speech.
He also paid tribute to Maneswar Basumatary, the CRPF jawan of Tamulpur in Baksa district of the State at the start of his speech who was martyred in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on the occasion, Shah said it is the electorates to decide whether the country needs a powerful leader like Narendra Modi or an alliance government that is without a leader even days before the elections.
He also alleged that the Congress did nothing for the State.
Shah also said that former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was a Rajya Sabha member from Assam, but he also did nothing for the all-round development of the state.
Shah claimed that Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister to have taken special interest for Assam.
The BJP national president also claimed that during the BJP regime at the Centre and the State, rhino poachers in the State have been dealt with iron fists.
Lashing out at Congress, Shah said that it was during the erstwhile Congress regime, illegal encroachment took place in the State and it was the BJP that cleared the satra lands from illegal encroachment of immigrants.
Speaking on the occasion, Assam chief minister Sarbananada Sonowal said that Prime Modi’s special interest and affection for Assam were reflected in various developments over the last five years.
Sonowal further claimed that the State has received the highest economic package during the regime of Modi government.
While saying that the country needs a second term of the Modi government, Sonowal said that there is need to send as many MPs as possible from the State.
Addressing the gathering, State finance minister Sarma came down heavily on former chief minister Tarun Gogoi and said that Gogoi’s love for his son propelled the Congress to enter into an unholy nexus with the AIUDF.
He further urged all the party workers of both BJP and the AGP to work whole-heartedly for the consensus candidates in all constituencies.
Urging the voters to vote for the BJP-AGP alliance, the consensus candidate of Koliabor constituency, Moni Madhav Mahanta said that his desire is to strengthen the hands of Narendra Modi for building a stronger nation.
AGP president Atul Bora said that there is no need for any introduction of Moni Madhav at Koliabor as he as a student leader for the last two decades is well acquainted with the problems of the constituency.
The AGP while lashing out at Congress candidate and sitting parliamentarian Gaurav Gogoi saying that Gogoi does not even speak Assamese fluently let alone understanding the problems of the people of the constituency.
From Koliabor, Shah went straight to Teok in Jorhat where he will address another election rally for party candidate and state power minister Topon Kumar Gogoi.