Agartala: Assam Chief Minister and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said BJP governments were essential in Tripura, Assam, and West Bengal to protect the Northeast from the threat of infiltration, asserting that the region was facing complex demographic and security challenges.

Speaking to media after offering prayers at the Maa Tripura Sundari temple in Gomati district, Sarma said infiltration was a major issue in both Assam and Tripura.

He said that after the next census, the Muslim population in Assam would account for nearly 40 per cent of the total population. “The whole Northeast is facing danger, but Assam is facing the brunt of it,” he said.

The Assam Chief Minister criticised the West Bengal government, alleging that infiltration from Bangladesh had become a serious concern. He said enforcement measures in Tripura were effective and that Assam authorities were detaining infiltrators, but alleged that no action was taken once they entered West Bengal.

He said this lack of response was harming the national interest and added that coordinated action along the Indo-Bangladesh border was necessary. For that to happen, he said, BJP governments were needed in Tripura, Assam, and Bengal.

On the BJP’s electoral prospects in Assam, Sarma said the party would secure very good results if elections were held today, but cautioned that politics was unpredictable and outcomes could only be known after the results were declared. He said the BJP continued to have a strong organisational presence across the state.

Outlining his poll agenda, Sarma said Assam’s politics revolves around development and identity. He said that nearly all promises made before the previous elections had been fulfilled, highlighting the provision of government jobs to 1.6 lakh youths without corruption.

He added that approximately two lakh bighas of land illegally occupied by Bangladeshis had been recovered.

Referring to development initiatives, Sarma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was gifting Assam several new projects, including a 36-kilometre elevated corridor over Kaziranga.

On the BJP’s strategy in minority-dominated areas, Sarma said there was no point in fielding candidates where the party had no support base, adding that friendly forces were free to contest.

He also said he did not expect minority voters to support the BJP, asserting that people should vote according to their preference and that he would continue to work for all sections.

Sarma reiterated that his brief Tripura visit was purely spiritual and dismissed speculation of any political engagement, including mediating issues within the ruling alliance.

He said he had come only for darshan and paid a courtesy call on Chief Minister Manik Saha before leaving the state early on Friday.

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