Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday kicked off the Vijay Sankalp Yatra with a mega cycle rally in Majuli, in the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency. Mr Sarma who himself led the cycle-rally with hundreds of supporters said that he intends to take out similar cycle rallies in more than 30 assembly segments over the next 15 days in the eastern and northern regions of the state, where elections are slated for in the first phase on April 19.
Asserting that his party would succeed in achieving the goal of more than 400 seats set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “We are beginning our Vijay Sankalp Yatra with a cycle rally in Majuli – the spiritual centre of Assam. People will bless Adarniya Narendra Modi Ji with over 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.”
Accompanied by hundreds of party members and supporters, Mr Sarma's rally garnered attention from various demographics, with people offering traditional Assamese scarves, called 'gamosas,' as a gesture of
respect.
He said that candidates have also started campaigns in their respective constituencies, with each addressing 10 to 12 meetings daily. Highlighting a significant aspect of this year's campaign, Mr Sarma stated the role of socio-economic surveys conducted by booth committees to identify if any beneficiaries were omitted from government schemes that they were entitled to. He assured that the government would ensure that those left out (identified by the booth committees) in the scheme would be included after the elections.
BJP has fielded its incumbent MP Topon Kumar Gogoi from Jorhat, while the Congress nominee for the seat is Gaurav Gogoi, the deputy leader of opposition in the outgoing Lok Sabha. Mr Gogoi represented Kaliabor in the outgoing Lok Sabha, which has been rechristened Kaziranga following the delimitation of constituencies in the state. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also scheduled to visit Assam for campaigning on April 6.