NDA vs Congress In Assam: Migration, Jobs, Evictions And Zubeen Garg Case Take Centre Stage

The Assam assembly elections feature competing narratives from the NDA and Congress about migration, land rights, welfare schemes, and law enforcement, with emphasis on development projects, tea garden communities, and the Zubeen Garg case shaping voter perception.

As the Assam assembly elections draw closer, both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Congress-led bloc prepare to clash over issues ranging from migration and land evictions to welfare schemes, policing strategies and the death of singer Zubeen Garg, with each side trying to sway key communities and first-time voters.

The Congress and allies hope to regain ground by attacking the state government’s record on rights, justice and inclusion, while the ruling alliance plans to foreground welfare benefits, infrastructure projects and campaigns against social ills. Voters in Muslim-majority seats, tea garden belts and urban centres are expected to be crucial in this contest.

Assam assembly elections: development projects and welfare schemes

Development and welfare are likely to feature heavily in early campaign speeches. The Assam government plans to highlight new roads, railway upgrades, airports, waterways and the Tata semiconductor plant, along with agreements secured during the second Advantage Assam business summit, presenting these as signs of growing investment, jobs and regional connectivity across select districts.

Opposition parties are expected to frame this growth narrative quite differently. Congress leaders are likely to claim that key infrastructure and industrial projects have favoured particular regions and corporate interests, while alleging that indigenous communities lost land for these schemes. They may link these disputes with broader concerns about identity, displacement and unequal access to state resources.

Welfare schemes aimed at women will be another campaign pillar. The BJP and its partners are set to promote monthly support of Rs 1,250, initiatives for women entrepreneurs and several health-related schemes, stressing that women account for almost half of Assam’s electorate. The Congress camp, though, is likely to argue that crimes against women remain high and benefit delivery is inconsistent.

Assam assembly elections: employment, tea gardens and immigration debate

Employment will feature strongly, as the ruling alliance under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma points to recruitment drives in various government departments. The government says over 1.6 lakh youth have secured jobs, and leaders will try to retain support among tea garden workers, a pivotal group that shifted from the Congress to the BJP in 2016.

Immigration and identity politics, however, are expected to dominate many rallies, especially outside major towns. Assam’s long history of agitation over illegal migration, which produced the Assam Accord, continues to resonate. The BJP-led government argues that it is implementing the Accord, while opponents say several commitments, including stronger cultural and linguistic safeguards, remain unfinished.

Congress and allied parties are likely to highlight grievances among indigenous Assamese communities and Muslim voters. They accuse the government of failing to provide constitutional, legislative and administrative protections promised under the Accord. They also claim that some genuine citizens are being "harassed" under the drive against alleged Bangladeshi immigrants, especially in constituencies with large Muslim populations.

Assam assembly elections: evictions, child marriage drive and law-and-order

The eviction campaign against alleged encroachers is likely to be another major flashpoint. The state government insists it has cleared forest land, satra premises, temple properties and other government land from illegal occupation. Many people removed in these drives belong to the Muslim community, making the exercise politically sensitive in several districts.

The opposition plans to counter that narrative by stressing the human cost. Leaders are expected to describe the evictions as a "serious humanitarian crisis", arguing that families lost homes and livelihoods and were forced to live on the streets. They are likely to question whether proper rehabilitation, documentation checks and advance notices were provided before demolitions took place.

The crackdown on child marriage will also feature in campaign debates. Assam’s government has launched large-scale operations, with many arrests and prosecutions under the POCSO Act. The ruling front presents this as a firm stand against a harmful social practice, while critics argue that poor families face jail and stigma instead of receiving education and support.

Opposition parties are likely to say that enforcement has not been uniform. Many leaders claim the drive has again "targeting the Muslim community" disproportionately, especially in rural pockets. They may seek to connect this charge with broader concerns about selective policing, citizenship verification and the handling of the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Assam assembly elections: Zubeen Garg’s death and political blame game

The death of singer Zubeen Garg in Singapore in September 2025 is expected to echo across the campaign. Zubeen Garg enjoyed wide popularity in Assam, and demands for justice over the alleged murder have continued. Protests and public discussions have kept the case alive in both cultural circles and ordinary neighbourhoods.

Opposition parties are preparing to accuse the BJP government of not showing enough urgency in pursuing those blamed for the alleged crime. The ruling side is expected to respond that a Special Investigation Team was created, the accused were arrested and the matter is now before the court, urging voters to await judicial findings rather than political claims.

Together, these debates over migration, land, welfare, gender justice, law enforcement and the Zubeen Garg case are likely to define the Assam assembly elections, with both the NDA and the Congress-led alliance seeking to convince voters that their vision protects identity, improves livelihoods and delivers justice across different communities and regions.