GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has asserted that the BJP will continue to expand its organisational presence in minority-dominated areas without compromising on its ideological principles, emphasising that electoral gains cannot come at the cost of the party's core beliefs.
Addressing a party core committee meeting here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said the BJP's vote share in minority-dominated areas had increased, reflecting its expanding political footprint in these regions.
However, he made it clear that the party would not dilute its core ideology to attract voters or strengthen its electoral prospects.
"Organisational expansion will continue, but there will be no compromise on ideology," was his message at the meeting.
Reiterating the state government's position on social issues, particularly child marriage and polygamy, he stressed that these practices must be brought to an end. "Child marriage and polygamy must be stopped," he said, adding that the BJP would remain firm on these issues even as it works to expand its organisational network in minority-dominated constituencies.
The remarks assume significance against the backdrop of the BJP's efforts to strengthen its political presence across Assam, including constituencies where minority voters constitute a substantial share of the electorate.
The Chief Minister's comments also highlight the party's attempt to balance organisational expansion with its stated ideological commitments, particularly on issues that have featured prominently in the state's political discourse.
Assam has witnessed sustained political debate over child marriage and polygamy, with the BJP government repeatedly highlighting its efforts to address these practices through legislative and administrative measures.
His latest remarks indicate that the party intends to continue its outreach in minority-dominated areas while maintaining its position on these contentious social issues.
His statement comes as the BJP continues to consolidate its organisational structure in Assam ahead of future electoral challenges.
The Chief Minister also took a dig at Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the INDIA bloc's symbolic impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying that while Gandhi could become Prime Minister in a mock parliament, Narendra Modi would continue to be Prime Minister in the actual Parliament.
Reacting to the opposition's symbolic public impeachment programme and its subsequent rally against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, the Chief Minister said Congress leaders had made several attempts to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister but had failed to achieve the objective.
"Sonia ji wanted to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister, and many efforts were made towards it. But when no efforts were successful, they organised a mock parliament in the lawns of the residence of Kharge ji, where he (Rahul Gandhi) became the PM. The reality is this - in mock parliament, Rahul Gandhi will be the PM, and Modi ji will be the PM in Parliament," he said.
The Chief Minister's remarks came amid a political confrontation between the BJP and the INDIA bloc over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations of deletion of genuine voters' names.
Earlier, the INDIA bloc on Saturday passed a symbolic motion seeking the impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar during a mock parliament organised in the national capital. The programme, presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress leader Meira Kumar, saw participation from leaders of several opposition parties.
The programme triggered a sharp political exchange between the opposition and the BJP.
The Chief Minister on Sunday led the BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) padyatra in Shimla, where he launched an attack on Rahul Gandhi over the SIR exercise and accused him of attempting to protect infiltrators. (ANI)
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