I Won't Seek Muslim Votes: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that he will not seek the votes of Muslims and will not do "vote bank politics."

"Right now, I don't want Muslim votes. All problems happen because of vote bank politics...I visit a Muslim area once a month, attend their events and meet people, but I don't link politics with development. I want Muslims to realise their relationship with the Congress is all about votes," NDTV quoted the Assam Chief Minister as saying in an interview.

He claimed that he would develop the areas of Muslims first after which they can vote for him.

"Don't give me votes. Let me develop your areas in the next 10 years. I want to ensure child marriage practice ends, stop going to madrasas. Go to colleges instead. I am going to inaugurate seven colleges for Muslim daughters, especially girls," Sarma added.

Sarma indicated that the BJP's relationship with Muslims is beyond votes.

"The Congress did not build infrastructure or schools in Muslim areas. But I want to develop them. I will do this for 10-15 years, then I will ask for votes from Muslims. If I ask for votes from them now, it will become a give-and-take relationship. I don't want it to be a transactional relationship," the Chief Minister added.

Sarma claimed that he did not campaign in Muslim areas in the previous election. "In 2016 and 2020, during campaigning, I did not go to Muslim areas. I had said I would go only after winning the election. Even this time I am telling them, vote for whoever you want. BJP will not campaign in their area," the Assam CM, who quit Congress in 2015 to join the BJP in Congress, added.

In 2016, the BJP emerged victorious in Assam Assembly polls by unseating the Congress's Tarun Gogoi-led government that had held power for three consecutive terms. The saffron party's success was widely attributed to Sarma's strategic manoeuvres. In the following year, despite securing fewer seats than Congress, the BJP managed to establish a government in Manipur.