Guwahati, Aug 18 (IANS): Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah said on Saturday that the BJP will face a debacle in the upcoming by-election in five Assembly segments.
The bypolls will be held in the five Assembly segments of Dholai, Sidli, Bongaigaon, Behali, and Samaguri. The by-elections have been necessitated as the legislators representing the five constituencies were elected as members of Parliament in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Borah, meanwhile, told reporters here that the BJP cannot control the elections "because people are angry at the ruling party".
"There have been many problems in the state. However, the government is not keen to solve those issues," he said.
According to the Congress leader, increasing the tariff on electricity and the price rise of necessary commodities are the major issues for the voters.
"We will go to the people of these five Assembly constituencies, and they will fix the issues for the next elections. The present government has failed on many contemporary issues and the Congress party will raise people's problems this time," he said.
Borah also claimed that there are 36 lakh unemployed youth in Assam.
"The government has given only one lakh jobs and that too without creating any new posts.
Practically, the vacancies were filled up. The BJP government has not created any new posts in the departments," he said.
The senior Congress leader also criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"BJP president J.P. Nadda once claimed that Assam would lead as an example in the whole country for creating jobs. CM Sarma asserted that Assam will become one of the top five states in the country. Sadly, nothing has happened. If we consider that 1 lakh jobs have been given, what will happen to the rest 35 lakh unemployed youths in the state?"
The five assembly segments which got vacated after the Lok Sabha elections will go to polls later this year.
The BJP will contest three Assembly seats while its two allies -- Asom Gana Parishad and United People's Party Liberal -- will fight elections in two seats.