Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday presented a wide-ranging account of his government's economic record before the state Assembly in Guwahati, asserting that Assam's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown by ₹8.71 lakh crore over the past five years — a figure he cited as evidence of accelerating economic momentum under Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule.

Key Claims on Growth and Poverty

Addressing the House during a scheduled discussion, Sarma said the state's poverty rate has declined significantly over the same period. 'In the last five years, Assam's poverty level has come down and in the next few years it will decrease by around two to three per cent,' he said, attributing the improvement to the government's welfare schemes and development initiatives.

Opposition legislators on the Congress benches contested these claims, disputing both the economic progress figures and the employment generation numbers cited by the Chief Minister.

Employment Push: Two Lakh Jobs Promised

On jobs, Sarma announced that the state government would create two lakh additional employment opportunities for Assam's youth within the next five years. 'This time again, two lakh youths will get employment opportunities in next five years,' he told the Assembly, framing the pledge as a continuation of the BJP-led government's public-sector recruitment drive.

Notably, this is the second such large-scale jobs commitment made by the Sarma government, suggesting a pattern of electoral-cycle announcements that will face scrutiny on delivery.

Attack on Congress Record

Sarma took a pointed swipe at the Indian National Congress (Congress), alleging that the state's budget saw no substantial growth during the party's tenure. 'There was no remarkable increase in Assam's budget during the Congress days,' he said. He further alleged that government employees went without salaries for nearly six months under the previous Congress administration — a charge that Congress legislators in the House disputed sharply.

BJP's Broader Development Narrative

The ruling BJP used the session to reinforce a broader narrative of unprecedented infrastructure investment, welfare delivery, and economic expansion under Sarma's leadership. This comes amid Assam's preparations for the next state Assembly election cycle, lending the claims added political weight beyond their administrative significance.

With opposition parties pushing back on the numbers and no independent verification of the GDP or poverty figures presented in the House, the debate is likely to continue outside the Assembly as well. How the state's economic data holds up to scrutiny will be a key battleground in the months ahead.