Why is BJP wooing Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam?

After he casts his vote today in Assam’s Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency, Rabbul Islam will take a train back to Chennai, where he works in a vehicle repair shop.

The 30-year-old is a resident of Sutar Gaon, a village on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra inhabited mostly by Muslims of Bengali origin. Over the years, floods and river erosion have damaged houses and livelihoods, forcing an exodus of the young.

“Over 500 families have lost their homes in the last two years because of the erosion,” Islam said, as he played carrom with other young migrant workers, home for Eid as well as the Lok Sabha election, at the Sutar Gaon market on April 23. “The government did not do anything to protect us. After losing homes and crops, we moved to the cities to feed ourselves.”

Talk at the carrom table revolves around a rally that the Bharatiya Janata Party held at the market a day before. Flags of the party dot the 20-25 shops in the market – an uncharacteristic addition to the electoral landscape for most residents.

“They never came here in the past seeking our votes,” Minarul Islam, a 27-year-old said.

Minarul has good reason to be surprised. Assam chief minister...

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