Dibrugarh: Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu on Saturday campaigned in Assam for BJP candidate and sitting MLA Manab Deka from the Lakhimpur assembly constituency, where he is facing Congress’s Ghana Buragohain. The visit, marked by a large public gathering, added a strong regional development pitch to BJP’s narrative in upper Assam.Addressing a crowded rally in Lakhimpur, Khandu stressed the deep ties between Assam and Arunachal. “The bond between the two states is unbreakable — Arunachal’s growth is powered by the hardworking people of Assam, and we remain fully committed to their welfare and dignity,” he said. He credited the present “double engine govt” for replacing longstanding boundary tensions with “peace and partnership” between the two states.
Khandu highlighted the central role of infrastructure, safety, and economic progress in the BJP’s agenda. “With BJP at the Centre and in both states, we are focused on infrastructure, safety, and prosperity,” he said. He argued that the northeast, once seen as “untapped potential,” is now undergoing a historic shift. “For years, the story of northeast was one of untapped potential. But today, that story has changed forever. The northeast and Assam are undergoing a historic transformation under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma,” he stated.The Arunachal CM projected Lakhimpur as part of a larger high-tech future, pointing to Assam’s emerging role in technology and industry. “For too long, Assam’s potential was held back by neglect and instability, but today it is shedding the tags of underdevelopment to become India’s next semiconductor hub and global centre of technology,” he said. He urged voters in Lakhimpur to back BJP candidate Manab Deka for a “prosperous and high-tech future.”“We invite the people of Lakhimpur constituency to join this journey toward a prosperous and high-tech future. Support the vision of a developed Lakhimpur by standing with BJP candidate Manab Deka, as we work together to build a Viksit Assam and Viksit northeast,” he said.Khandu also presented the turnout at the rally as a sign of public confidence in BJP-led NDA. “The massive turnout sends a clear signal: the people are ready to bring NDA back for a third term in Assam,” he said. Earlier in the day, he addressed two other rallies — one for BJP candidate Rishiraj Hazarika from the Ranganadi assembly constituency and another for AGP candidate Basanta Das from Naoboicha.
