What is behind the BJP’s success in Assam?

The BJP’s success in Assam rests on a layered strategy rather than a single factor, analysts say, reports BBC.

One part of the party's strategy was focused on identity, Akhil Ranjan Dutta, professor of political science at Gauhati University, told the BBC. “The party tried to bring indigenous communities closer to a broader Hindu identity, while portraying some groups as outsiders.”

This, he says, was combined with targeted outreach. “The BJP engaged women, young people, farmers and small business owners through schemes and messaging aimed at their needs.”

Dutta adds that development also shaped voter response. “Improvements in roads and connectivity, including in rural areas, helped strengthen the party's appeal.”

He also points to alliance-building, especially with a range of tribal communities, as a key element of BJP's success in Assam.

Political analyst Yogendra Yadav has argued that a series of announcements on development schemes by PM Narendra Modi, immediately before election-related restrictions kicked in, helped his party develop an edge in Assam.

Yadav wrote, external in the National Herald newspaper that BJP’s campaign in Assam was also marked by polarising rhetoric targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims. This struck a chord in a state where linguistic identity and worries around immigration have shaped politics.