Sonowal has given Assam its growth engine: Ramlal

‘Onus of changing panchayati raj, which was nickmed ‘corruption raj’ during Congress regimes, to ‘development raj’ lies with us’

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 24: The BJP Assam Pradesh has put its lung power to the test when its representatives from 5,525 of the 6,200 shaktikendras have sounded the poll bugle from Khapar in Guwahati. The shaktikendras of the party indeed exhibited their power play in Guwahati on Sunday.

Addressing some 8,000 cadres of the party at Khapara playground in Guwahati on Sunday, BJP’s organization general secretary Ramlal said: “During its tenures the Congress did brand Assam as a symbol of corruption, besides tagging it as the land of lahe lahe. After Modiji becoming the Prime Minister, following Sarbanda Sonowal leading the State as the BJP Chief Minister, the State started to experience what development is. In fact, it’s Sonowal who has given Assam its growth engine. Modiji has always been according more priority to the Northeast. The development index of a State is essentially the development of its villages. This is why the grassroots workers of the BJP have to work for the development of rural areas in the State. We want all party workers in Assam get themselves connected with voters of each and every booth.”

Ramlal appealed to party’s shaktikendra conveners to cherry-pick at least five persons who can use mobile phones, five each having bikes, five social activists from each and every booth in the State. “In the days ahead around one lakh youths with bikes can take out rallies in the State when the need arises,” he said.

State BJP president Ranjit Kumar Dass, who completed a year as the State president of the party on Sunday, was felicitated by the party. Addressing party workers, he said: “You’re the driving force of the party. The onus of changing the panchayati raj, which was nickmed ‘corruption raj’during the successive Congress governments in Assam, to ‘development raj’ lies with us. To make that really happen we need to work overtime.”

State Fince Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “An agitation-like situation is being created in Assam on the issue of framework agreement for nothing. One thing I want to make crystal clear is ‘not even an inch of Assam land will be ceded to galand’. There has been no agitation in States like Manipur and Aruchal Pradesh from where more land has been sought for ‘greater galim’. However, there are agitations in Assam for no rhymes or reasons.”

State BJP general secretary Dilip Saikia said: “For the BJP the panchayat and Lok Sabha polls in Assam are really polls for ‘pledge’ and ‘gaining foothold’ in the State. In the 2012-13 panchayat poll in Assam we could win only five per cent of the 26,881 panchayat seats. That was when we were not in power in the State. We even had to face dearth of party candidates. Time is changing apace. Now we’re strong enough to be choosy in giving party tickets.”

The conveners of the shaktikendras who attended the meeting on Sunday will be brought under the Chief Minister’s IT cell through a mobile network so as to let them get updated in government’s development schemes and projects in no time. The conveners were given a booklet each containing the schemes and projects of the 30 departments of Assam and other reading materials that can update their knowledge on party and government affairs.