We will win on sea of development and peace: Assam CM Tarun Gogoi (Interview)

GUWAHATI - Assam’s ruling Congress will bank on the twin mantras of “development and peace” to win the upcoming assembly elections for the third consecutive term, says Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, exuding confidence that the people of the state will vouch for his governance once again.

“We are not basing our optimism on mere rhetoric and are instead confident of winning the elections for the third straight term as we were able to bring about a sea of development and peace in Assam during the last nine-and-a-half years of Congress rule,” Gogoi told IANS in an interview.

Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly are scheduled in the next two to three months.

Five months after a successful triple heart surgery, the 76-year-old chief minister is raring to go and taking the opposition head on.

“I would say the opposition, more particularly the AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), have acquired doctorate degrees in spreading canards and indulging in false propaganda against our government,” said Gogoi, who has been heading the state since 2001.

Claiming that the state had witnessed visible development during the Congress regime, the chief minister mentioned the growth in the health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure sectors.

“People in Assam will vouch for us and openly acknowledge the drastic improvement in healthcare facilities, education system, roads and infrastructure as well as the agriculture sector,” Gogoi said.

“During the AGP government from 1985 to 1989 and 1996 to 2001, state government employees hardly got their salaries on time while all government recruitments were stopped,” he added.

The chief minister, however, said the biggest achievement was the improvement in the law and order situation.

“Almost all the militant groups are in peace mode with the overall situation improving manifold with peace now the catchword, coupled with issues relating to development as well,” Gogoi said.

Launching a blistering attack on the AGP, the chief minister said the people of Assam had realised what was the true face of the regional party.

“All the AGP leaders are simply hungry for power without any good intentions of developing the state. During the regime of chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the state witnessed the infamous secret killings. Today, he should have no moral right to question the Congress,” Gogoi said about his predecessor.

“I am confident the Congress would win the next assembly polls hands down and score a political hat-trick. The opposition will surely bite the dust.”

(Zarir Hussain can be contacted at zarir.h@ians.in)