Guwahati, April 19: The political heat around Assam’s upcoming Panchayat elections intensified on Saturday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launching a sharp attack on the Congress party’s recently released manifesto, calling it a “document of self-deception” and a desperate attempt to remain relevant in grassroots politics.
Responding to the manifesto unveiled by the Congress on Friday, the Assam BJP accused the party of peddling illusions instead of offering real solutions, asserting that its promises are hollow and disconnected from the ground realities.
“The Congress, which is struggling to find candidates in indigenous areas and has been accused of selling tickets for lakhs in minority-dominated constituencies, is in no position to speak of grassroots empowerment,” said BJP spokesperson Lakhya Konwar in an official statement. “Their dream of victory is nothing more than a grand illusion.”
The Congress manifesto was launched at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati by APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah and senior leader Ripun Bora, with promises of bolstering Panchayati Raj institutions and empowering local governance. Borah stated that the Congress would “fulfill all promises made to the people,” citing the party’s legacy under Rajiv Gandhi, the architect of the modern Panchayati Raj system.
Konwar ridiculed the manifesto, saying the Congress’s sudden rediscovery of rural empowerment is “a classic case of too little, too late.” He invoked a popular Assamese proverb—”jackfruit on the tree, oil on the lips, yet already ringing the bell”—to criticize what he called premature celebration by a party in disarray.
Konwar highlighted that the BJP-led alliance has already secured several Panchayat seats unopposed, portraying it as a sign of overwhelming public support for the NDA. He added that even in regions where Congress is trying to stage a comeback, voters would back NDA candidates in favor of what he called “real development.”
The BJP didn’t hold back on historical grievances either. “If Congress had actually developed rural Assam during its decades in power, there wouldn’t have been a need for BJP to rebuild from scratch. They didn’t strengthen Panchayati Raj—they decentralized corruption,” Konwar alleged.
He accused the Congress of turning welfare schemes like MGNREGA into “open markets for looting” and dismissed their current pledges to revamp such programs as political theater.
“Blankets, yarn, and lungis were their tools of governance. That’s how deep their vision went,” Konwar added, referring to previous Congress-era welfare handouts that the BJP often labels as tokenistic.
Despite the BJP’s fierce criticism, Congress leaders have remained firm on their narrative of grassroots revival. The manifesto includes promises for increased local development funds, transparency in rural employment schemes, and strengthening self-governance at the Panchayat level.
As the Panchayat polls draw closer, the political divide between Congress’s pitch for revival and BJP’s confidence in dominance is sharpening. While one side talks about reform and legacy, the other leans heavily on performance and voter trust.
