Speaking at a campaign rally in Patharkandi on April 7th, 2026, Shah presented the election as a vote on illegal immigration and the safety of the country. He said India isn’t a place for visitors and shouldn’t allow people to enter illegally, and tied this to a larger “transformation” happening in West Bengal. He also said that if the BJP wins, those who have entered illegally from Assam, Tripura, and Bengal will be sent back, which shows the party’s continued commitment to stronger border controls and enforcing those controls.
Shah’s pledge and the push for parivartan
Shah claims Congress is against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) because it would mean no illegal immigrants would be allowed to stay in the state. He says the CAA covers Hindus who were badly treated in Bangladesh, but accuses Congress of wanting Muslim immigrants to come in.
He goes on to say that when Congress was in power in Assam’s Barak Valley, they allowed illegal immigration to happen, and as a result, places like Sribhumi, Silchar, and Cachar have a lot of people from those backgrounds. This accusation is a typical way the BJP describes immigration as being used by their political opponents.
CAA, immigration, and claims against the Congress
The debate about immigration in Assam has a long history. Over the past forty years, officials, following procedures from the Assam Accord, have identified over 170,000 people as not being citizens of India. Checking their backgrounds, decisions from special courts (tribunals), and looking at their documents have been central to this process.
The CAA, which became law in 2019 and was just recently put into effect, makes it easier for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before the end of t 2014 to become citizens. It doesn’t directly deal with sending people away and doesn’t offer this faster path to citizenship to Muslims, which has caused arguments in the courts and in politics.
Actually sending people back to their home countries requires knowing who they are, following the proper legal steps, having places to hold them while they are waiting, and getting the country they are being sent to to agree to take them back. India uses talking to other countries and controlling the border to send people back, and officials have sometimes said people have been turned back based on agreements between countries. A large-scale removal of people would have to get past legal challenges, be possible to do in terms of logistics, and have the agreement of other countries.
What the law can and cannot do
At another rally, this one in Hailakandi, Shah said the Congress created 700 madrasas (Islamic schools) for Muslim students in Assam. But the BJP changed 402 of them into regular primary schools to give more students the opportunity for a modern education. He argues that doing this helps learning in general, and doesn’t ignore someone’s culture.
Shah combined his message about immigration with promises of improvements for the Barak Valley. He mentioned the Silchar-Guwahati Expressway, a government office in Silchar, and a planned AIIMS (medical research center) in Sribhumi, saying these projects will improve travel and medical care. He also said Prime Minister Modi has officially said that Assamese and Bengali are “classical languages”.
Barak Valley focus: schools, infrastructure, and language
Shah asked voters in all three districts of the valley to give all thirteen local assembly seats to the BJP and its partners, saying this election is about giving a clear approval to protect a person’s heritage, their land, and basic safety – which are known in the area as jaati, maati, and bheti.
Shah strongly criticized leaders of the Congress, saying they are trying to win votes with the help of illegal immigrants. He attacked Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for things they’ve said and done recently, and said the opposition is making the level of political discussion worse and causing embarrassment to the country.
The Congress has opposed the CAA for a long time, saying it’s unfair and goes against the idea in the constitution that everyone should be treated equally. Groups of citizens and legal experts have also raised concerns about following the correct legal procedures and about the human rights of those affected by the citizenship laws, especially those who are vulnerable and don’t have a lot of paperwork.
Escalating rhetoric with the Congress
The BJP is trying to get more support in West Bengal and to keep the support they have in Assam and the rest of the Northeast. Immigration and controlling the border are now the most important issues as the party tries to connect national security, how people feel about their region, and providing services with what they say during the election.
Shah’s promise to send illegal immigrants back appeals to the people who strongly support the BJP and keeps the issue of immigration being talked about. Whether or not he is successful will depend on whether voters care more about the promise of stricter enforcement and improvements, or if they are more influenced by the criticisms from the opposition about people’s rights, including everyone, and good government.
