Election campaigning is in full swing in India's northeastern state of Assam, which goes to the polls this Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended three campaign rallies in the state on Monday, where his party currently governs. He accused the main rival Indian National Congress party of supporting "infiltrators" in Assam and opposing action against illegal land encroachments, in a bid to drum up support for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates.
Speaking from a roadshow in Barpeta, Modi reiterated claims that the Congress party is attempting to introduce laws that could treat "infiltrators" in the state as "victims." He stated, "The Bharatiya Janata Party is freeing such lands from every illegal encroachment. Congress is openly supporting infiltrators. Congress is opposing action against illegal encroachments." Modi added that Congress wants to enact a law in Assam where using the word 'infiltrator' could lead to imprisonment, allegedly threatening the indigenous majority.
At another rally in Hojai, Modi emphasized developmental works during BJP's 10-year governance in Assam while continuing his criticism of Congress. He accused the opposition party of prioritizing its own interests and depriving Assam of development when it was in power in the state. Modi said, "Congress kept Assam in trouble and deprived it of development. Till Congress was in power here, it only looked after its own selfish interests." A single-phase election is set for Assam on Thursday, with Modi and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi actively campaigning.
Indian markets showed a sharp rebound in afternoon trading on Monday after opening with a decline, as reports emerged that the US and Iran have been presented with a draft ceasefire proposal. Both benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty50, turned positive after a weak start. Additionally, India is seeking to buy 2.5 million metric tons of urea to bolster domestic supplies impacted by the US-Israel conflict with Iran, a crucial move as planting for crops begins in June, with the Middle East accounting for roughly half of India's urea imports.
In sports news, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a 43-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday night. RCB's Tim David scored 70 not out off 25 balls, hitting eight sixes, marking CSK's third consecutive loss this IPL season. Election fever is gripping India, with four states and one Union Territory gearing up for polls in the coming weeks, Assam being the first to vote on Thursday amid heightened political rhetoric.
Source: www.dw.com