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    EYE ON INDIA                                                             APRIL 10, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    8

                              ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS SERIES: ASSAM

                                    Competing narratives of

              development, identity and fear shape

                                           high-stakes election

                As parties clash ahead of polling, Assam’s election has become a contest of sharply

                                                        divergent political storytelling

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            warning that such a system seeks to
                                                                                                                  “make  the  people  of  this…  state  of
            Guwahati / New Delhi                                                                                  Assam slaves, keep them suppressed.”
            W        ith  polling  for  all  126  As-                                                             nance  and  public  welfare,  contrast-
                                                                                                                      Her  appeal  focused  on  gover-
                                constituencies
                     sembly
                     scheduled for April 9, As-
                                                                                                                  ment that “doesn’t scare you, doesn’t
            sam is witnessing not just a political                                                                ing what she described as a govern-
            contest  but  a  battle  of  narratives—                                                              threaten  you”  with  one  driven  by
            each  party  framing  the  state’s  past,                                                             “selfish interests.” She urged voters
            present and future in starkly different                                                               to reject “the politics of fear,” fram-
            ways. From development claims to al-                                                                  ing the election as a choice between
            legations of fear and discrimination,                                                                 intimidation and empowerment.
            the  campaign  rhetoric  reveals  how                                                                     Other  opposition  voices  are  at-
            the  Bharatiya  Janata  Party  (BJP)-                                                                 tempting to carve out distinct spaces
            led NDA, the Congress, and smaller                                                                    within this crowded narrative land-
            players are attempting to define the                                                                  scape.  Jharkhand  Chief  Minister
            electoral choice before voters.                                                                       Hemant Soren questioned the BJP’s
                At the centre of the BJP’s narra-       Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi during a public meeting at Sarihajan,    development  claims  by  pointing  to
            tive is a decade-long claim of trans-  in Karbi Anglong on Thursday. AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh and APCC president   ground realities. “The Prime Minis-
            formation. Prime Minister Narendra                                                                    ter talks about providing pucca hous-
            Modi  has  framed  the  last  ten  years           Gaurav Gogoi also present (AICC/ANI Photo)         es to everyone, but how many people
            as an “era of service and good gov-                                                                   have  actually  received  pucca  hous-
            ernance,”  positioning  the  upcoming   were once “stunned to see the state’s   Modi  controls  your  CM,”  referring   es?” he asked, highlighting concerns
            election  as  a  referendum  on  prog-  backwardness,” they are now “filled   to  Assam  Chief  Minister  Himanta   about “electricity, water, roads, and
            ress.  Addressing  rallies,  he  asserted   with  joy”  at  improved  connectivity.   Biswa  Sarma.  According  to  Gand-  hospitals” and the “condition of the
            that “Assam has witnessed a new era   He also pointed to ongoing efforts to   hi, Modi’s influence stems from his   labourers in the tea gardens.”
            of  service  and  good  governance  in   address floods and land erosion, with   awareness  of  the  Chief  Minister’s   Meanwhile, AIMIM chief Asa-
            the past 10 years,” adding that “this   “schemes worth hundreds of crores”   “corruption  and  crimes,”  enabling   duddin Owaisi has focused on minori-
            time,  a  hat-trick  for  the  BJP-NDA   and  an  additional  Rs  18,000  crore   him to “make your CM do whatever   ty  rights,  alleging  “unconstitutional
            government is certain.”           planned.  Promises  such  as  imple-  he wants.”                    and unlawful discrimination” by the
                The BJP’s messaging ties devel-  menting the Uniform Civil Code and   Beyond  leadership  critiques,   BJP  government.  He  claimed  that
            opment to identity and governance.   “saving Assam’s identity” further re-  Gandhi  accused  the  state  govern-  “more  than  50,000  Muslims’  hous-
            Modi  accused  the  Congress  of  be-  inforce the party’s dual plank of de-  ment  of  undermining  Assam’s  cul-  es  have  been  demolished,  leaving
            ing  “anti-development”  and  “the   velopment and cultural protection.  tural  ethos.  Invoking  figures  like   them  homeless,”  and  criticised  the
            root  of  corruption  in  independent   In contrast, the Congress is build-  Shankar Dev, Bhupen Hazarika and   Congress for lacking “the courage to
            India,” alleging that it “played with   ing a narrative centred on power, con-  Tarun  Gogoi,  he  argued  that  the   speak out.” Positioning the AIUDF
            Assam’s identity, pride, and security”   trol  and  fear.  Leader  of  Opposition   “very soul of Assam” is rooted in uni-  as an alternative, he appealed to vot-
            and  “compromised  Assamese  iden-  Rahul Gandhi has sought to reframe   ty and respect. “However, today, the   ers to ensure “your voice is heard in
            tity for the sake of power.” He also   the leadership dynamic itself, alleging   Chief Minister of Assam is spreading   the assembly.”
            linked  past  policies  to  demograph-  that Modi is controlled by former US   hatred and intimidating the people.   Together,  these  competing  nar-
            ic  concerns,  stating  that  Congress’s   President  Donald  Trump.  “Donald   This is not Assam’s culture,” he said.  ratives reveal an election defined by
            “biggest  wrongdoings  has  been  in-  Trump  controls  Narendra  Modi,”   Congress leader Priyanka Gand-  contrasting visions.
            tegrating  illegal  infiltrators  into  the   Gandhi  said,  adding  that  “if  Trump   hi Vadra reinforced this line of attack,   As  Assam  heads  to  the  polls,
            mainstream.”                      tells Modi to jump, Narendra Modi will   recasting  the  BJP’s  “double-engine   the  outcome  may  well  depend  on
                Alongside  these  attacks,  the   ask how long and will start jumping.”  government”  as  a  “government  of   which of these narratives resonates
            BJP is projecting a forward-looking   He  extended  this  argument  to   double-slavery.”  She  alleged  that   most strongly with voters: a story of
            agenda. Modi highlighted infrastruc-  the  state  level,  claiming  that  “the   Modi “has become a slave to Ameri-  transformation and stability, or one
            ture gains, saying that where people   way Trump controls Modi, similarly,   ca” and that Sarma is “Modi ji’s slave,”   of control, fear and unmet promises.

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