With Assam Assembly elections approaching, the BJP has intensified its preparations and chosen to make “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and land encroachment by Miya Muslim population the cornerstone of its electoral campaign.
In Assam, the word “Miya” is commonly used to describe Muslims of Bengali origin, a large number of whom live in the riverine char regions. Demographic issues linked to this community have long been a contentious and divisive topic in Assam’s political landscape.
In the previous month, after conducting multiple strategy sessions, the state BJP leadership declared that the Assembly polls would essentially represent a battle between Assam’s native communities and the Miya Muslim population with roots in East Bengal (Bangladesh), asserting that Assam’s “future, safety, and cultural survival” depends on the outcome of this confrontation.
The same message was reinforced at the state BJP executive gathering held last weekend, during which Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma characterized the coming elections as a “civilisational struggle between Sanatani traditions and the culture of Bangladeshi-origin Miya Muslims”.
Chief Minister Himanta Sarma reiterated his assertion that Bengali-origin Muslims could comprise approximately 40% of Assam’s total population by the time the next Census is conducted in 2027. Meanwhile, he suggested that the native Assamese population is experiencing decline, stoking anxieties about “population transformation”.
Previously, Chief Minister Himanta Sarma had warned that Assam risks being absorbed into Bangladesh if the immigrant population increases by an additional 10%.
Chief Minister Himanta Sarma has consistently highlighted demographic concerns on multiple occasions. In past declarations, he has argued that uncontrolled population expansion within specific communities threatens to transform Assam’s social and cultural identity.
Eviction Drives Target Encroachment
Chief Minister Himanta Sarma’s administration has adopted an aggressive approach toward Bengali-origin Muslims across the state, executing large-scale removals from Sattra properties, protected forest areas, PGR/VGR zones, government land and other public holdings, which the Chief Minister has characterized as a campaign against “population-driven territorial takeover”. The state administration has simultaneously introduced population regulation measures and land policy changes designed to safeguard the interests of those it identifies as “original inhabitants of Assam.”
BJP Reiterates Promise On ‘Infiltrators’
BJP top leadership has assured that if elected to power in Assam BJP will eliminate Bangladeshi infiltrators from the state.
When Is Assam Assembly elections?
Assam Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled for March–April 2026, before the current term ends on May 20, 2026.
