Bongaigaon:
"Bharat Mata ki Jai", he declares, and the crowd erupts. A beat later, he follows it up with "Joi Aai Axom" (Long live Mother Assam), and the cheers get even louder.
At the centre of it all is Sarbananda Sonowal, former Assam chief minister and now Union Minister, campaigning at full throttle as the state heads into the elections on April 9.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV on his campaign trail in Bongaigaon, Sonowal exuded confidence about the BJP's prospects in Assam, saying the "mood is very positive" and that the "people have already decided". He said voters told him during his recent visit to Barak Valley "that there is no alternative apart from BJP", adding that people are backing the party for "development and unity."
Invoking the BJP's slogan of "Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi" (development as well as heritage), Sonowal said the party is committed to building a "foreigner-free Assam" while protecting the integrity of the state and its people.
Asked about Gaurav Gogoi being perceived as the Opposition's chief ministerial face, the Union Minister said, "To become a chief minister, one has to be elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. How will he become an MLA? The Congress has no power. They have no workers to build connections with the masses".
