“Voters Are With Development, And That Means They Are With BJP”: Dilip Saikia

Silchar witnessed a charged political moment on Monday as BJP’s Assam state president and Member of Parliament, Dilip Saikia, arrived in the town and addressed the press at the party office. His remarks during the meet stirred interest and set the tone for the upcoming Panchayat elections, particularly in the Barak Valley region.

During the press meet, Saikia made it clear that for the BJP, all elections—be it general or local—hold equal importance. He dismissed the idea of treating any election like a “quarter-final” or “semi-final,” stating that the party takes each one with the same seriousness.

Speaking about Barak Valley, he expressed confidence that the region is with BJP because its people have witnessed development under the party’s rule. “Those who stand with development, stand with the BJP,” he added. He also shared that several BJP candidates have already won unopposed in Zilla Parishad and Anchalik Panchayat seats, a sign of growing support according to him.

Commenting on the Waqf Amendment Act, Saikia said the changes made are in the interest of the wider Muslim population. He claimed that earlier, only a very small section of Muslims benefitted from Waqf provisions, but now the amendment has made things better for everyone. Accusing the Congress of spreading misinformation and provoking protests, he stated, “Indian Muslims are safer and more secure than those in Pakistan.”

Speaking on the issue of Nalbari’s Bahjani Mandal president Mintu Tamuli, Saikia downplayed the controversy, calling it an internal party matter. “The party will deal with it within its own walls,” he said, adding that such things happen from time to time and do not concern the media.

In a sharp response to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s remark that in BJP, only the ‘Dada brigade’ matters, Saikia retorted, “First let the Congress decide whose words matter there, then talk about BJP.” His tone carried a hint of sarcasm as he tried to reflect internal confusion within Congress.

During the press meet, Dilip Saikia remained optimistic about BJP’s performance in Barak Valley and across Assam. He said the village-level voters are with the BJP because they believe in the party’s development agenda. Yesterday he completed his campaign in all three districts of Barak. And today after the press meet he departed for Guwahati.