The stage is set for a high-profile campaign battle in Assam, with both the BJP and the Congress finalising their star campaigner rosters ahead of the upcoming Assembly election.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will spearhead the BJP's campaign, while the Congress will field Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as its leading faces.
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According to BJP state president Dilip Saikia, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address four public rallies, while Amit Shah will cover six. Both leaders may increase their rally count depending on convenience and ground-level requirements.
BJP National President Nitin Nabin is also slated to address six election rallies across the state.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari will additionally campaign for the party. Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma is expected to participate in as many as four to five rallies per day, reflecting the intensity of the BJP's ground push.
Congress sources confirmed that the party has compiled a 40-person star campaigner list, led by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sachin Pilot, and Kanhaiya Kumar, among others.
The party's campaign is expected to focus primarily on issues including unemployment, inflation, and social harmony.
"The upcoming electoral battle in Assam is poised to be a high-voltage contest," Congress sources said, adding that the party was deploying its strongest leadership to challenge the incumbent government and highlight what it described as its failures.
With both national parties mobilising their top leadership for the Assam campaign, the election is shaping up as one of the most closely watched political contests in the Northeast this year.
The deployment of such high-profile campaigners from both sides signals that neither party is taking the outcome for granted.