Jagiroad (Assam), March 1 While accepting a "bulldozer salute" during the BJP's "Jan Ashirwad Yatra," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Sunday that eviction drives would be carried out on five lakh bighas (over 1.65 lakh acres) of land if he were to return to power after the assembly elections.
Accompanied by Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, Sarma began the second day of the party's march, starting from Jagiroad, and it passed through Morigaon, Raha, and Nagaon before ending at Barhampur.
A "bulldozer salute" was arranged at Jagiroad, with party workers atop 10 bulldozers showering flower petals on Sarma as he passed beneath them.
"Next time, five lakh bighas will be cleared of illegal occupations. This is the message we have conveyed to the people. No Bangladeshi infiltrator will live peacefully in Assam," Sarma told reporters from atop his open SUV in front of the lined-up bulldozers.
He said that all alleged encroachers in the forests and tribal belt and blocks will be evicted if the BJP returns to power for the third consecutive term.
On February 19, Sarma informed the Assam Assembly that 1.5 lakh bighas (over 49,500 acres) of land across the state have been freed from encroachment in the last five years.
"You will see that many people will meet me during this yatra. Some will say that he got jobs, some will say he got land. Someone will come to thank me for taking strong action against illegal infiltrators. So, it is not one issue but multiple issues on which people are supporting us," Sarma asserted.
He expressed satisfaction that people are "acknowledging" what the BJP-led government has done in the last five years and hoped that people would give the party a very strong mandate this time.
"I hadn't thought that people would come out in such large numbers. I have seen many waves, but this time it is completely different," Sarma said.
The Assam Assembly elections are expected to take place in March-April this year. This will be the first assembly election after the delimitation exercise, which was done in 2023.
Currently, the ruling BJP's strength in the 126-member assembly is 64, while its allies AGP has nine MLAs, UPPL has seven and BPF has three members.
In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF has 15 members and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is also an Independent legislator.