Does Jayanta Mallabaruah's Dholai Campaign Highlight BJP's Manipulative Politics?

Completely downplaying the ability of the Congress, Assam cabinet minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jayanta Mallabaruah made startling claims during a rally in Dholai in the Cachar district.

Mallabaruah, who is the guardian minister of the district, said that his sign, which is mandatory to sanction schemes for the people, will only go on documents if the people voted for the BJP candidate Nihar Ranjan Das. In his speech, he clearly stated that if the number of votes fell from what was recorded last time, he would not assent to the Orunodoi scheme.

The minister said, "My Chief Minister has said that ahead of January next year, in Dholai, another 15,000 to 20,000 people will be enrolled under the Orunodoi scheme. Now, who will sanction this? As I am the guardian minister, the approval will come from my end. If anyone wants ration card, the supply officer will come to me for my sign. Now the question is where will I give my signature? I will only sign for the places where I get votes."

"When the files related to Jamalpur come to me, I will first check how many votes I got from here. I remember last time we got 2,758 votes. I will only sign the documents if we get 4,000 votes this time. If instead, the number goes down to lets say 2,000, then when the file comes to me, I will not sign it. I will tell them [officials] to take it away as it would not be done immediately. It will be done after 2026," Mallabaruah said.

The BJP leader further said, "So, you people want Orunodoi or not? If you want my sign, then you have to give me votes."

Meanwhile, he took the opportunity to criticize Congress saying, "Can the Congress candidate give his sign? The Congress candidate does not have the capacity to do so. Is there a Congress government in the state? I can tell you that even in the next 50 years, the Congress will not come to power. However, if you give me the votes, then I will remember that the people of Jamalpur showed so much love, that I will have to give them Orunodoi."

Earlier, a viral video surfaced from the Dholai constituency, alleging distribution of money by the BJP after a rally in the region. The video shows long queues of people gathered at the BJP rally venue, reportedly receiving Rs 3,000 each after Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah's election meeting, held at a wedding hall in New Bazaar.

The viral footage sparked claims that the ruling party is engaging in vote-buying tactics to influence the election outcome.

Also Read: Assam: BJP Faces Allegations of Corrupt Practices After Viral Money Distribution Video