Assam Assembly election: Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi to address poll rallies today

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Assam to campaign for their respective parties on Wednesday.

While Rahul couldn't be in the state on Tuesday due to the bad weather, Shah was in Bengal on Tuesday, taking the battle to Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram, from where the West Bengal chief minister is contesting the elections.

Both Shah and Rahul will campaign in constituencies that are going to polls in the third and final phase on 6 April. The home minister is expected to address three rallies, starting with the first in Chirang, at 11.30 am. Shah will then move to Hajo at 1 pm before his final rally in Dispur at 2.40 pm.

Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah's public rallies in Assam tomorrow, 31st March 2021.

Rally 1- Bijni at 11:30 AM

Rally 2- Hajo at 1:00 PM

Rally 3- Dispur at 2:40 PM pic.twitter.com/r4obroPEfs

— Office of Amit Shah (@AmitShahOffice) March 30, 2021

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi will start his campaigning for the day roughly at the same time. Rahul will have his first public meeting of the day in Kamrup at 11 am. He will then leave for Nalbari for his second public meeting at 12:15 am.

Shri @RahulGandhi will be in Assam today, watch him live on our social media platforms.

FB: https://t.co/NPOcx48kHN

YT: https://t.co/g2POk7bvU1

Insta: https://t.co/C0Mr9TzMxd pic.twitter.com/iVRYlQD95p

— Congress (@INCIndia) March 31, 2021

Following the cancellation of his three rallies on Monday in Silchar, Haflong and Bokajan due to heavy rains, the former Congress president in a video message addressed the people of Assam and said his party will implement Article 244(A) in letter and spirit to ensure the interests of people are protected.

“BJP is attacking the culture and traditions of Hill Tribes by withdrawing Article 244(A), Congress will ensure that article 244(A) is not diluted and all its clauses are implemented to protect the interests of the indigenous people,” he said.

आज ख़राब मौसम की वजह से आप सब के बीच नहीं पहुँच पाया लेकिन मेरा और महाजोत का संदेश साफ़ है- असम को 5 गैरंटी से उन्नति और समृद्धि की राह पर आगे बढ़ाएँगे।

इस उद्देश्य के लिए आप महाजोत को भारी मतों का समर्थन दें।#Elections2021 pic.twitter.com/A9b2zRdZtT

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 30, 2021

The Congress-led Grand Alliance, if voted to power, will fulfil its five guarantees, the first of which is to not allow the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Rahul said in the video message.

"The first guarantee is we will not allow CAA to be implemented. It is an attack on Assam, your language, history, your tradition and culture," he said.

The BJP, on the other hand, is once again talking about infiltrators causing a disturbance in the state and therefore it has promised a "corrected NRC" in its manifesto. In his previous interactions with the media as well as public meetings, Shah has hit out at Congress over its alliance with AIUDF, the regional party led by Badruddin Ajmal.

The home minister has also said that his party will do better than previous elections and get more seats this time.

The voting in the second phase will take place on 1 April in Assam and 39 seats will be up for grabs.