Newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Borah on Tuesday credited Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's governance with steering Assam toward sweeping economic and social change, highlighting a ₹10 lakh crore economy target and a sharp reduction in poverty as the state government's defining ambitions. Borah made the remarks in Guwahati while speaking to reporters after the Assam Assembly proceedings.

Key Announcements from the Chief Minister

According to Borah, Chief Minister Sarma outlined a multi-pronged agenda during the Assembly session covering poverty eradication, economic growth, healthcare, and inflation control. Citing recent surveys on poverty levels, Borah noted that Sarma expressed confidence that the proportion of Assam's population living below the poverty line would decline sharply over the next five years.

'The Chief Minister did not claim that poverty would disappear completely, but he made it clear that the government would work to bring down the percentage of people living below the poverty line to a minimum level,' Borah said.

₹10 Lakh Crore Economy Target by 2028-29

Borah described the state government's ambition of building a ₹10 lakh crore economy in Assam by 2028-29 as 'realistic and development-oriented.' He argued that industrial growth and investment promotion would be the twin engines of this push, generating employment for the state's youth. 'If investors are given proper facilities and support, economic growth will naturally increase and employment generation will also improve,' he said, while cautioning that complete dependence on government jobs was not a practical solution to unemployment.

Healthcare and Maternal Welfare in Focus

The BJP MLA also underscored the state government's emphasis on maternal and child welfare. Borah said Sarma had expressed serious concern over maternal mortality rates and stressed the need for further health sector reforms, even as recent years had recorded some improvements. The government is also reportedly considering targeted measures to ease the burden of inflation on ordinary citizens.

Judicial Independence and Opposition Criticism

On judicial matters, Borah stated that neither the state Assembly nor political leaders should interfere in court proceedings, asserting that legal processes must continue independently. He also criticised certain Opposition parties, alleging they crossed 'all limits of political decorum' during the election campaign — conduct he said was 'rejected by the people of Assam' in the recently concluded state polls.

Borah's Political Switch and Electoral Win

Borah's defection from the Indian National Congress (Congress) to the BJP ahead of the Assam Assembly elections drew significant attention in state political circles. Having previously served as APCC President, he joined the BJP shortly before the polls and was fielded from the Bihpuria Assembly constituency, where he went on to win. His endorsement of the Sarma government's agenda carries additional political weight given his stature as a former Congress chief in the state.

With a ₹10 lakh crore economy target on the books and poverty reduction pledges made on the floor of the Assembly, the coming years will test whether the Sarma government's roadmap translates into measurable outcomes for Assam's citizens.