Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone and attend the Bhoomi Pujan for the construction of Assam's second state assembly at Khanikar in Dibrugarh on Friday, officials said.
The Minister will also inaugurate an ultra-modern, 35,000-capacity stadium in Dibrugarh. Later, he will fly to the neighboring Dhemaji district to attend the 10th Mising Youth Festival. Organised by the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) at Kareng Chapori, the five-day festival will host Shah as the Chief Guest on its concluding day.
With only a few months remaining before the Assam Assembly elections, Shah's visit is seen as a strategic effort by the BJP-led NDA to consolidate its hold over Eastern Assam. The visit aims to counter potential anti-incumbency in these constituencies, which are primarily dominated by tea-tribe voters.
Following delimitation, Dibrugarh district now consists of six assembly constituencies (down from seven), all of which are currently held by the BJP and its allies. In the adjoining Tinsukia district, the number of segments increased from five to six, all of which are also held by the BJP. Similarly, in the newly created Charaideo district, both seats belong to the BJP. In Dhemaji, where seats increased from two to three, the BJP and its allies maintain total control.
Shah's presence in Dibrugarh and Dhemaji is significant; the BJP aims not only to retain its current seats but also to achieve its ambitious "Mission 100" out of the 126 total assembly seats.
Dibrugarh, the nerve center of Assam's tea and oil industries, is the home district of Union Minister and former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Under the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government, Dibrugarh has been promoted as the state's "second capital," a move expected to yield political dividends.
In the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, and Charaideo, the BJP's primary objective is to retain its core vote bank-the Assamese communities, particularly the Ahoms, who are pivotal in Upper Assam. Engaging smaller indigenous groups, such as the Morans, Muttocks, and Misings, is equally crucial.
Because the issue of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in Upper Assam remains a political flashpoint, Amit Shah's outreach to these communities is vital.
Furthermore, the massive tea garden workforce (the "Tea Tribes") remains the ultimate "game changer" in every Assam election. Since 2016, this significant vote bank has shifted decisively from the Congress to the BJP.
