Guwahati: Exuding confidence that the party will win the Assam Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a target for at least 100 seats and has begun preparations in the full swing for 'Mission Assam'. The party bagged nine seats in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections and is hoping to win the elections, probably the first polls one to be held after Bodo Peace accord.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah's is on a two-day visit to Assam, thus marking his aggressive campaign in the state and to take stock of the party's preparedness ahead of the elections.
After putting a spectacular show in the BTC polls, BJP dumped Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and joined hands with United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) to form BTC.
Shah, who will also lay the foundation stone for various developmental projects in the state, has also warned the saffron party workers to end the existing infighting in the party to give a tough fight to the Congress.
Out of the 40 seats in BTC polls, the BJP bagged 9 while the ruling Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF) won 17 seats. United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) won 12 seats and the Congress and Gana Shakti Party (GSP) one seat each.
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The party sources said that after registering victory in the BTC polls, BJP is expecting the same performance in Assam Assembly elections and hoping for a massive majority.
Shah will meet the party workers and will also review the election preparations ahead of the assembly elections. The party started preparing for the elections ever since the party won the BTC polls which was considered as a litmus test.
Amit Shah recently completed his two-day West Bengal tour with an aggressive roadshow and campaign in Bolpur, hoping to dethrone Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.
In 2016 Assembly elections, BJP scripted history by ending the 15-year long Congress rule in the state. BJP and its allies won 86 seats and Congress could win only 26 seats giving the former a bigger political role in the region.
Several Congress leaders are likely to switch sides during the Union Home Minister Amit Shah's two-day visit to Assam, elections for which are likely to be held in April. Shah is in the Assam after the party and its allies registered sweeping majority in the recently concluded Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections and Tiwa Autonomous Council.
BJP's Vice President and Assam in-charge Baijayant Panda said that many opposition leaders are in touch with BJP.
“A large number of MLAs in West Bengal have joined us. This is happening all over the country and in other states also. In Assam too, several elected representatives at the local level in recent few weeks have joined us. This is because all over the country the undeniable popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is exceptional,” Panda told the reporters.
