During an election rally in Baksa district, Assam minister and BJP leader Pijush Hazarika displayed a gesture of respect by pausing his public speech when the call to Namaz was heard from a nearby mosque. The incident, captured in a video shared by the BJP leader, showed Hazarika halting momentarily as the Namaz was recited at a mosque located close to the rally podium.
Baksa in lower Assam which falls under the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituency will go to polls along with three others - Barpeta, Dhubri, and Guwahati - in the third phase scheduled for May 7, concluding the electoral process for all 14 parliamentary seats in Assam. The previous two phases saw voting in 10 seats held on April 19 and April 26, respectively.
The upcoming elections in these four constituencies hold significance for both the BJP and Congress. While the BJP aims to maximize its seat tally in Assam as part of its broader national target, the Congress seeks to capitalize on the electoral opportunity despite internal challenges within its state unit.
With a substantial Muslim population in these constituencies, both parties are vying for their support. The BJP, in particular, is making efforts to appeal to minority voters, despite facing challenges in this regard. The division of minority votes between the AIUDF and Congress could potentially benefit the BJP in these elections.
Assam's Chief Minister has been actively engaging with minority voters during his campaign, emphasizing the equitable distribution of government schemes and programs under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In this Lok Sabha election, the BJP is contesting in 11 out of 14 seats in Assam, with its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and UPPL contesting in two and one seat, respectively. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured seven seats, while both Congress and AIUDF claimed three each. In 2019, BJP increased its seat count to nine, while Congress retained three and AIUDF won one seat.
