Assam CM beats model code to wrap up projects' inauguration

GUWAHATI: Hours before the declaration of poll dates, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday laid the foundation of a polytechnic at Hajo.

Sonowal travelled all the way to Hajo from upper Assam 's Dibrugarh town on Sunday to get the foundation-laying ceremony completed before the ECI announced the polls dates and the model code of conduct came into effect.

Earlier in the day, Sonowal inaugurated a newly constructed building of District Industries and Commerce Centre at Dibrugarh in upper Assam.

As soon as news broke that the ECI will announce the election schedule at 5pm, Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma swung into campaigning mood on Sunday, attacking opposition Congress for "hoodwinking" the people of Assam for decades. Sharing the dais at a convention of BJP workers from the tea tribe at Bokakhat in Golaghat district, Sonowal said, "BJP government does not believe in tall promises but in translating words into deeds. Our government has initiated a slew of measures to spread the light of education among the tea garden workers, eradicate superstition and change their lifestyle which could not happen for decades during the Congress regime."

Also in a race against time to beat the 5pm-deadline was Himanta who laid foundations of a 100-bedded government hospital at Gohpur in northern Assam's Biswanath district and a BEd college on the premises of the Bezera Anchalik High School in Kamrup district. Education minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya also accompanied Sarma for the programme in Kamrup.

Speculation about the election dates being announced soon has been doing the rounds for the last seven days. Over the last week, the chief minister has launched and laid foundation stones of at least 13 projects. Some of the most important among these was laying the foundation of a new bridge connecting RG Baruah Road with Bishnu Rabha flyover at Ganeshguri Chariali in the city and inauguration of the newly constructed Assam house in New Delhi.