Tezpur (Assam) [India], March 31 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday launched an attack against Congress, accusing the party of neglecting Assam and subjecting the state to 'step-motherly treatment.'

Addressing an election rally in Tezpur, NDA candidate and Asom Gana Parishad leader Prithviraj Rabha, Rajnath Singh, expressed confidence in the BJP-led alliance's victory in the state assembly polls.

The Union Minister said, 'The land of Assam is rich in both culture and nature. The aroma of Assam's tea can be found not just in India, but worldwide. This is the land of courage and Mahanayak Lachit Borphukan. The bravehearts of Assam have sacrificed everything for the nation. Seeing your spirit, I am confident that no power can stop the formation of a BJP government here.'

He said that the BJP has resolved to secure Assam's culture and identity.

'The BJP has resolved that Assam's culture and identity must remain secure. And that is why the double-engine government under the leadership of Himanta is working here. Assam has now acquired a distinct identity within India. The Congress has always neglected Assam. It was subjected to step-motherly treatment here. Due to the misrule of the Congress, the discourse here revolved around insurgency, poverty, and unrest,' Singh said.

The BJP leader said that the discourse around Assam has changed from starvation and extremism to development.

'But times have changed now. Today, no one across the entire world speaks of starvation or extremism anymore. Now, the discourse here revolves around development, something that has been made possible thanks to the BJP. Many villages along the border were once referred to as the 'last villages' under Congress, but we have bestowed upon them the title of the 'first villages' of the nation. PM Modi has visited the North East 30 times in the last 12 years. But during the Congress tenure, the PM hardly used to visit the region,' he said.

Earlier, the BJP released its manifesto for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, promising a Uniform Civil Code and increasing the monthly direct bank transfer under the Orunodoi scheme to Rs 3,000 for women.

Listing 31 promises, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the BJP aims to make Assam the 'brightest state'.

Following the footsteps of Uttarakhand and Gujarat, and tapping into the BJP's core agenda, the Chief Minister promised a Uniform Civil Code and action against the alleged 'love jihad'. The UCC, he said, will exclude the areas under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and will not be implemented on tribal communities.

The polling for all 126 Assembly constituencies will be held in a single phase on April 9, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. Assam will witness a fight between the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and Congress for the 126-seat assembly.

The BJP is contesting the elections with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF).

The NDA will look to secure a third consecutive term, while the Congress aims to defeat the ruling party to return to power. (ANI)