Himanta Sarma said that the northeastern region "barely saw development" under Congress rule. (File)
Dubbing the Congress as "old currency notes”, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the country moved in the reverse direction for 75 years due to the "non-performance” of the grand old party.
He claimed that the northeastern region, which "barely saw development" under Congress rule, is marching towards prosperity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The Congress has turned into old currency notes, which people don't want to touch because they are of no use," he said at a by-election campaign rally of the BJP at Agartala assembly constituency late on Sunday.
The BJP has fielded senior leader Ashok Sinha from the seat, who is set to take on Congress heavyweight candidate Sudip Roy Barman.
"The country stepped backwards for 75 years because of Congress's non-performance. For a Rajdhani Express, Tripura had to wait for so many years. Now, the northeast is marching ahead towards prosperity," the Assam CM said.
Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb also spoke at the rally.
Mr Sarma, who arrived in Agartala on Sunday morning to hit the campaign trail, could not address two scheduled rallies in North Tripura and Dhalai districts, for by-elections to Yubarajnagar and Surma assembly constituencies respectively, due to inclement weather.
However, he led a road show in Town Bardowali Assembly constituency in support of Chief Minister Manik Saha, who is contesting from the seat.
Hitting out at the Congress, the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) chairman quipped that the party had been losing elections one after another since 2014.
"Have you heard of the Congress winning any election in the past 10 years? Be it Assam or Uttar Pradesh or Uttarakhand, the BJP is winning all battles of ballots under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership," he stated.
Mr Sarma also highlighted the BJP-led government's welfare schemes for the underprivileged, asserting that the poor "are now being given free rice as well as free vaccination".
Urging voters to support BJP candidates in the by-election to all four assembly seats in Tripura, the Assam CM sought 10 years' time to turn Tripura into an entirely new and developed state.
By-polls to four assembly segments are scheduled to be held on June 23. Counting of votes will take place on June 26.