Assam CM Himanta Mocks Congress Over Welfare Legacy, Calls For Replacing ‘Hand’ Symbol With ‘Lungi’

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that development under Congress was confined to the distribution of lungi, dhoti, ‘suta’ (yarn), and ‘athuwa’ (mosquito net).

File photo of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Source : Facebook

Guwahati, Apr 21 (PTI): Alleging that the only development undertaken during Congress governments was free distribution of ‘lungi and dhoti’, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the opposition party should change its election symbol from ‘hand’ to ‘lungi’.

Addressing a panchayat election rally at Dhemaji, Sarma claimed that in the four years since he has taken over as the chief minister, peace and progress have been reinstated in the state.

“Development under Congress was confined to the distribution of lungi, dhoti, ‘suta’ (yarn), and ‘athuwa’ (mosquito net). They understood only that language,” he said.

The atmosphere has changed now and people get the benefits directly in their bank accounts under schemes like ‘Orunudoi’ which empowers women, the chief minister added.

“The Congress should change its election symbol from hand to lungi,” Sarma said, without elaborating.

He maintained that in the four years since he has taken over as the chief minister, peace and progress have been reinstated in the state.

Investment is coming, youth are getting government jobs on a merit basis and welfare schemes are reaching the people, Sarma asserted.

He said the government will try to further reduce the power tariff by Re one in November, after bringing it down by the same amount from this month.

Subsidy of Rs 200-300 on LPG cylinder purchases is also being mooted, he added.

“I have become chief minister for the first time and am still in the learning process. This (term) is just the prelude, the full picture will be unravelled in our next government. I promise to make Assam one of the top five states of the country,” Sarma said.

Taking part in another panchayat election meeting in Digboi later, Sarma urged the people to vote for the BJP-AGP allies in the coming polls.

“With our alliance in power in the panchayats also, it will mean not just double-engine but triple-engine government for Assam to take it forward,” he said.

With almost all major militant groups coming forward for talks, no agitations taking place and industrial houses coming forward to invest, the state was marching in the path of development, Sarma said.

The panchayat elections will be held in two phases in the state on May 2 and May 7 in 27 of the 34 districts.

Polls will not be held in seven districts of the state which fall under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and have autonomous council polls. Votes will be counted on May 11. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)