GUWAHATI: Home minister Amit Shah will campaign in poll-bound Assam on February 25 at Nagaon district’s Batadraba, the birthplace of 15th century Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva and now the biggest and holiest platform for BJP to launch its battle for ‘protection of Assamese culture and identity.’
Shah besides seeking blessings at the most revered place in the state will also start a state-funded Rs 150-crore project for beatification of the Batadraba Than (holy place) that was built by the saint in 1468.
“The home minister had laid the foundation stone for the cultural complex in December remotely from Guwahati but he desired to be here personally to seek blessings here, which is the holiest place in Assam, and start the construction work himself. He will also address a rally here,” minister of state for health Pijush Hazarika said.
Shah’s visit to Batadraba was only recently fixed after All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal last week kick up a storm here when he held an election rally where his supporters shouted slogans referring the Vaishnavite saint as ‘Sahab. The state rose up in protest and Ajmal pleaded for forgiveness saying that adding the word sahab was completely unintentional and was slip of tongue.
Shah in his first campaign rally at Nalbari on January 24 said that the newly formed Congress -All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) alliance in Assam would open the gates for illegal immigrants to enter the state and projected BJP as the only party, which can secure Assam from infiltrators.
For BJP this election will again be the fight for Assam’s identity and culture all that revolves around the saint’s teachings. Soon after assuming charge as the chief minister five years back, Sarbananda Sonowal ordered clearing vast areas of land belonging to Batadraba Than of encroachment by illegal migrants.
Batadraba, which is also an assembly constituency, was won by BJP in 2016 though by a slender margin of 6,000 votes. Congress and AIUDF were the two runners up. Before that the seat has been traditionally with Congress. In 2011 AIUDF finished second behind Congress by one of the smallest margins of 131 votes. This time Congress and AIUDF have up together which could pose a big challenge for BJP to retain the holy seat.