BJP's Assam poll manifesto ensures inclusive growth of state: Jitendra Singh

GUWAHATI: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said the BJP's manifesto for the Assam assembly polls focuses on inclusive growth of the state, its security, development and cultural identity.

He also said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, consistent and diligent efforts were made to pull out Assam from the long nightmare of insurgency and violence into which previous Congress governments had thrown the state.

"Now that development activities have been rolled out on a fast track, we are seeking a second term (in the state) to consolidate the gains of the last term and to embark on a quantum jump of growth," said Singh, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office.

He said that Assam is the gateway to the Northeast and therefore, it would play a leading role in the future growth of India.

"BJP's poll manifesto will ensure inclusive growth of Assam with focus on its security, development and cultural identity," Singh told PTI.

BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday released the party's manifesto for the assembly polls in Assam.

Polling will be held in 47 seats in Assam on March 27 in the first phase, while 39 and 40 constituencies will go to polls on April 1 and April 6, respectively.

Singh said BJP leaders are not seasonal campaigners like those in the Congress, who come here only during election time and go straight to tea gardens for a Bollywood type photo-shoot and pose as sympathisers of tea garden workers.

"We have been here on the ground and among the people 24X7 for 365 days for the last seven years ever since Narendra Modi took over as prime minister", he said.

Singh, who is the party's co-incharge for Assam, said the BJP constantly interacts with the common people and it even did so when it was not in power in the state.

"We have consistently worked hard, day and night, to win the confidence of the people," he said.

"Even when we did not have our government in Assam, the BJP karyakartas would set up relief camps in times of flood or any other calamity", he said, adding that "we have shared the concerns of the common people and also celebrated their joys".