Guwahati (Assam) [India], January 5 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday launched the party's wall painting campaign ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.

Sarma said with ANI, 'We will complete this wall painting campaign within the stipulated time. The BJP's position in Assam is very strong; we have candidates for almost 50 per cent of the assembly seats...If our party leadership asks us to release the list of candidates for 50 seats, we can do so by this evening. We will not take applications from any candidate. The public, our workers will suggest names, and we don't have any fees of Rs 25,000 or Rs 50,000. First, the Congress is collecting amounts ranging from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore. This process is going on in 22-23 seats.'

Taking a swipe at the Congress, Sarma alleged that the opposition party was collecting large sums of money from ticket aspirants. 'The Congress is collecting amounts ranging from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore for candidature. This process is going on in 22-23 seats,' he claimed.

Referring to land encroachment issues, Sarma said an eviction drive would be carried out on Monday on around 5,000 bighas of encroached land in Tezpur.

'Today, we will conduct an eviction drive on 5000 bighas of encroached land in Tezpur. It is unfortunate for the Miya people that they have to vote for the Congress, pay hefty sums for candidature, and when they face any problem, the Congress does not stand with them. Dilip Saikia is negotiating with the AGP on seat sharing, and our ministers are also in talks with them. I think this will be finalised by February 15th. We are also talking in Bodoland, Rabha', he said.

On alliance matters, Sarma said BJP state president Dilip Saikia was holding talks with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on seat-sharing arrangements. He added that BJP ministers were also engaged in discussions and expressed confidence that the talks would be finalised by February 15.

The BJP's wall painting campaign is being seen as an early outreach initiative as the party gears up for the 2026 elections in Assam.

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday felicitated 1,534 students from Bezera and Sualkuchi for coming out with flying colours at the HSLC and HS Examinations, 2025 at a function held at Changsari in Kamrup district.

Addressing the students, Chief Minister Sarma said that since he was elected MLA from the Jalukbari constituency in 2001, he has honoured meritorious students who achieve good results in the HSLC and HS Examinations. In 2002, only 288 students received this honour; this year, the number has risen to 2,116.

Calling students' attention to the ever-changing needs of the world, Sarma said society is constantly evolving. He said that at times the pace becomes so fast that even those who initiate the change fall behind.

He stated that advances in medical science have increased average life expectancy. Today's students may live to 90 or older. As a result, they will experience many changes in their lives and must prepare for them.

Referring to rapid changes across fields, he recalled that when the Asian Games were held in Delhi in 1982, television first came to India. Those televisions displayed only black-and-white images. Colour television followed gradually, and later, mobile phones replaced television as the primary device in people's hands. Now, even smartphones have replaced mobile phones.

Sarma also noted that people once wrote using typewriters. He said that electronic typewriters followed, and later, large box-like computers and laptops appeared. Commenting that artificial intelligence has taken over almost everything, he said the era of software is over. (ANI)