We Want Scholarships, Assam CM Wants Guns: Gaurav Gogoi in BTC Campaign

As The BTC election nears the campaigns are also getting sharper by different parties. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Deputy President Gaurav Gogoi on Monday accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of fostering unrest in the BTC region.

In a post on social media, Gogoi alleged that Sarma is resorting to incendiary politics to incite tension, while his own camp is focused on providing scholarships to the youth of Assam. He further claimed that Sarma is promoting violence, even going so far as to “raise guns” to support aggressive tactics.

The comments come amid rising political rhetoric in the BTC ahead of the elections, with parties intensifying their campaigns across the region.

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with State BJP President Dilip Saikia, addressed massive Vijay Sankalp Sabhas in Chandrapara, Kokrajhar, and Satyapur under No. 2 Guma constituency, Gossaigaon, on August 13, rallying thousands of supporters ahead of the crucial Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections.

In his address, CM Sarma sharply criticized the existing administration of government welfare schemes in the BTR. He said, “Government benefits had long been monopolized by the Village Council Development Committees (VCDCs), leaving people deprived. Everything had to pass through VCDCs, and officials demanded bribes even for minor services. Under a BJP-led administration, this system will be reformed to ensure direct and equitable development reaches the people.”

Responding to controversies over Dilip Saikia’s remarks on the Sixth Schedule and Tribal Belts and Blocks, Sarma emphasized the BJP’s pro-tribal stance. He clarified, “BJP was committed to tribal development. We were expanding Micro Tribal Belts and Blocks across 600 villages. There was no plan, then or in the future, to dismantle existing Tribal Belts.”

Sarma also addressed public concerns about healthcare. Clarifying reports of increased charges for cancer treatment, he said, “No additional fees were being charged to patients. Expenses under Ayushman Bharat and Ayushman Assam were fully covered by the state government. Any reports demanding Rs 10,000 in advance were mistaken—citizens did not pay a single extra rupee.”

Highlighting BTC’s transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leadership, Sarma said, “There was a time when votes were sought through displays of weapons. Today, votes were sought with a greeting and a request. This was the change BJP brought to BTC.” Recalling the region’s troubled past of killings, bombings, abductions, and ethnic strife, he emphasized that lasting peace had now been established.

Also Read: BTC Polls: CM Sarma in Bodoland—What He Promised