‘Cocktail of Hindutva and welfarism’: How Modi’s BJP is wooing Assam voters | Elections News

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam is using a mix of xenophobic anti-Muslim policies and financial aid schemes to retain power. The party's campaign emphasizes the welfare programs launched by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, particularly the Orunodoi cash transfer scheme, which has been distributed to millions of women ahead of the election. Critics argue that these schemes are aimed at influencing voters and consolidating support for the BJP. Opposition parties and analysts suggest that the BJP is using cash transfers as a tactic to secure votes, especially among female voters. The party's rhetoric targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims, including accusations of being "foreigners" and threats of eviction, has heightened anxieties within this community. The BJP's hardline stance on immigration and its promise to crack down on "Love Jihad" have also been met with concern from Muslim groups.