Kamrup (Assam)

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the BJP will free five lakh bighas of illegally encroached land in the next five years, after it forms the government for the third consecutive time in the state.

Ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the BJP will make "illegal Bangladeshis" leave the state.

Addressing the foundation-laying ceremony of the 10th Battalion of Assam Police Headquarters, the Chief Minister recounted the state government's work in the run-up to the polls, and said that they have evicted encroachers from 1.5 lakh bighas of land in the last five years.

He said, "We all know that suspected illegal encroachers encroached 708 bighas of land at Kachutoli. But we freed 700 bighas of land from them. We freed 1.10 lakh bighas of forest land, 26,000 government land, 7000 bighas of VGR/PGR land from illegal encroachers in the last five years. We have freed a total of 1.50 lakh bighas of land in the state."

Further, he noted that the state has about 40 lakh bighas of encroached land.

"But in the state, 40 lakh bighas of land have encroached by illegal encroachers. Today, I assure you that, after forming the government, we will free five lakh bighas of land from illegal Bangladeshis. No one can dare to encroach on land in Assam now, and no one can kill a rhino in the state," the CM added.

CM Sarma added that the Battalion camp will be established in 174 bighas of the 700 bighas of the evicted land.

"We evicted 700 bighas of land here, and the Battalion camp will be established in 174 bighas of land. What you want, a medical college, an engineering college, we will construct it in the remaining 500 bighas of land," he said.

Assam government has led several land eviction drives during its tenure, which, along with the eviction of illegal immigrants, is likely to be a poll plank for the BJP in the upcoming elections.

The Chief Minister added, "Now the environment has changed. We will create such an environment that illegal Bangladeshis will have to flee from here. BJP is not scared of anyone. BJP will continue its work for Assam and the people of Assam."

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Congress of allowing 'illegal infiltration' which allegedly altered Assam's demographics, asserting that the BJP will "free Assam from the sin" committed by the previous regime.

Addressing the gathering in Kamrup, Shah said, "During the Congress era, infiltrators entered here, which took Assam's demography to a crisis level. Even back then, we opposed infiltration. We came from all over the country in support of the Assam Movement... but the Congressmen wouldn't wake up from their slumber."

"I ask the Congress party, whose responsibility is it that districts like Dhubri, Barpeta, Morigaon, Nagaon, and Goalpara have all become Muslim-majority, infiltrator-dominated? The BJP is the one that will free Assam from the sin you have committed," the Union Minister said.

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Assam is scheduled to hold Legislative Assembly elections later this year. On February 18, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar reviewed poll preparedness while announcing a series of voter-centric measures designed to streamline the voting process.

CEC Kumar outlined the structure of Assam's 126 Assembly constituencies, noting that 98 are classified as General seats, 19 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 9 are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).