E-Paper
Amit Shah starts 2-day Assam visit; to discuss BJP plans for 2026 assembly polls
Shah Shah went directly to Vajpayei Bhawan, the state head office of BJP, from the airport and chaired a meeting of the Assam BJP’s core committee meeting
GUWAHATI: Union home minister Amit Shah arrived in Guwahati on Thursday evening on a two-day visit to take stock of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s preparations for next year’s assembly polls in April-May.
Shah was received at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP state chief Dilip Saikia.
In a post on X before departing for Guwahati, Shah said he would be in the state for two days. “Today, will chair the BJP’s core committee meeting in Guwahati. In the morning tomorrow will initiate the National Cyber Forensic Laboratory to bolster cyber security in the region along with various other projects,” Shah said in the post.
“Later in the day will address the ‘NDA Panchayat Pratinidhi Sammelan’ and the Birth Centenary Celebration of former CM Golap Borbora Ji. Eager to meet the enthusiastic people of Assam,” he added.
On Friday, Shah will also inaugurate the newly built Brahmaputra Wing of the Raj Bhawan and review the progress of the Jyoti Bishnu Cultural Complex, an auditorium with a seating capacity for 5,000 people.
From the airport, Shah went directly to Vajpayei Bhawan, the state head office of BJP, where participated in the BJP’s core committee meeting. He will spend the night at the state guest house.
Ahead of Shah’s visit, the state BJP on Wednesday announced an 18-member core committee which will discuss preparations and plans for the assembly polls on Thursday evening with the union home minister.
The committee includes state unit chief Dilip Saikia, CM Sarma, union ministers from Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal and Pabitra Margherita, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, former state unit chief Bhabesh Kalita and ministers Ranjeet Dass, Ashok Singhal and Ranoj Pegu.
BJP’s state in-charge Harish Dwivedi, north east coordinator Sambit Patra and northeast co-coordinator V Muralidharan are special invitees to the committee and the new 13-member election committee.
Others in the election committee include state chief Saikia, CM Sarma, union minister Sonowal, MPs Bijuli Kalita Medhi, Pradan Baruah, Parimal Suklabaidya and minister Pijush Hazarika. The party also named a five-member disciplinary committee to be headed by MP Kanad Purkayastha.
BJP, which overthrew the Congress in 2016 to form its first government in the northeastern state, is aiming for a third consecutive win. Two regional groups, Asom Gana Parishad and United Peoples Party Liberal, are its alliance partners.
