Critics raise concerns over representation and accountability, with the chief minister openly indicating a lack of outreach to a significant section of the electorates
NEW DELHI — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has boasted that he doesn’t need a Muslim mandate in the state assembly elections this week. And to buttress his point, the hardline Hindutva face in Indian politics skipped 25 Muslim-majority constituencies in the election campaigning.
In an interview with The Economic Times, Sarma stated, “Should I ask for their votes? As of now, we are not thinking of taking those votes. That is why I have not even campaigned in 25 constituencies where immigrant Bengali-speaking Muslims have a large influence. If they vote voluntarily, that’s a different issue.”
The remarks have drawn attention, given that Muslims make up around 34% of the state’s population. Critics say the statement raises concerns about representation and accountability, with the chief minister openly indicating a lack of outreach to a significant section of the electorate.
Sarma also expressed confidence that the BJP-led alliance would secure between 95 and 102 seats in the 126-member assembly.
The constituencies he chose not to campaign in are home to large populations of Bengali-speaking Muslims, often referred to as the Miya community. Descendants of early 20th-century migrants from erstwhile East Bengal, many were settled by the British in the Brahmaputra Valley to cultivate riverine “char” areas and flood-prone lands. Over time, they have become an integral part of Assam’s agrarian economy.
Political observers suggest that the decision to avoid these constituencies reflects a calculated electoral strategy, though it has also intensified debate over inclusivity in democratic politics.
Sarma’s tenure has seen several controversial measures and actions that critics argue disproportionately affect Muslims. These include large-scale eviction drives in areas with significant Muslim populations, often justified as anti-encroachment operations; the implementation of policies targeting so-called “illegal immigrants,” which have raised concerns about profiling of Bengali-speaking Muslims; and rhetoric around demographic change that opposition leaders and civil society groups say contributes to communal polarisation. The state government, however, maintains that its actions are lawful and aimed at governance, land protection, and national security.
