Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday that the ongoing assembly elections in West Bengal are crucial for Assam as well, as he once again reiterated that Hindus may soon lose majority in the northeast state due to the influx of Bangladeshis. However, he asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is surely expected to win the Bengal polls.
"I won't be surprised if the BJP wins over 200 seats. Because of the support BJP received in the first phase, the atmosphere has changed in the state. It's a (BJP) tsunami," the Assam chief minister said at a press conference in Kolkata.
Attacking his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Sarma said the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government is supporting infiltration due to vote bank politics. He alleged that the TMC government has not provided land to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing of Bangladesh border.
If one aims to safe India, then a BJP government in West Bengal is a must, Sarma said, adding that the entire eastern party of the country will become a part of Bangladesh if infiltration is not stopped. The demographic changes can never be restored, Sarma warned, while urging people to vote for the BJP in the second phase of polling in West Bengal.
The BJP leader said Banerjee doesn't want anyone to see the demographic changes in West Bengal and only restrict people to just Kolkata, even though TMC leaders were openly campaigning against the saffron party in Assam.
"This election was crucial for both West Bengal and Assam. For us, the biggest concern is the demographic changes. The India-Bangladesh border is in five states: West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam. Even if the borders in any of these five states remains open, then it will have an impact on other states. It will also affect Bihar, Jharkhand and the entire northeast," Sarma said.
"The demographic changes are rapidly taking place in Assam, where there are 60 per cent Hindus and 40 per cent Muslims now. Hindus will lose majority in West Bengal and Assam within next two decades. Assam will fall first and then it will be West Bengal. This will later spread to Bihar and Jharkhand. That's why West Bengal elections were crucial for the east and northeast of India," he added.
Assembly elections in Assam were held in a single phase on Assam, while the first phase of polling in West Bengal took place on April 23. The second phase will now take place on April 29. The results for both states will be declared on May 4.
