Alleging that a “mafia raj” was going on in Assam, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday claimed chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was involved in multiple scams in the state.

Addressing an election rally at Balajan in Dhubri district, she claimed Sarma had a “secret understanding” with Badruddin Ajmal of the AIUDF just like the BJP had one with Assaduddin Owaisi in Telangana, both of which were aimed at defeating the Congress.

Vadra also hit out at the BJP on the sexual abuse allegations against Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought votes for him and then did not stop him from leaving the country.

“A mafia raj is going on in Assam. Mafias in land, supari, sand, coal and all other fields are operating. Everywhere extortion and mafias are functioning,” Vadra alleged.

All types of scams related to farmers’ assets, PPE kits and flyovers, among others, are taking place, along with unabated cow smuggling, but only development is not happening in the state, she added.

Vadra said there were big allegations against Sarma when he was with the Congress, but he got himself “cleaned” in the “BJP washing machine” after switching sides.

She was campaigning for Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Dhubri, a bastion of the AIUDF. He is locked in a triangular contest with Ajmal and BJP-backed Asom Gana Parishad candidate Zabed Islam, a former MLA.

“The BJP and the AIUDF have taken local politics in a different direction. Both the parties have a secret understanding and appreciate each other. Assam CM in an interview said that Badruddin wanted him to be the CM from his heart,” Vadra said.

“They did the same in Telangana, too, by allying with Owaisi so that they could divide Congress votes. Wherever we are strong, Badruddin has put up AIUDF candidates only because he wants the BJP to win,” she claimed.

Vadra asked if any developmental works had been done by Ajmal in Dhubri despite being an MP three times.

“He (Ajmal) himself says that he is a businessman. He is doing only business with you, not politics and service. Wherever he is seeing a profit, he is going there,” she said, accusing Sarma of favouring Ajmal’s perfume business by tweaking state policies.

“Both PM Narendra Modi and Himanta are running governments for the billionaires. Modi, Himanta, Badruddin Ajmal — all are same. They want elections to be fought on any issue other than people’s issues,” she claimed.

Vadra said rising unemployment was a major issue in Assam and “the CM and his ministers are concerned only about their own interests”.

Raising the issue of women’s safety, the Congress leader said the PM was
silent when the wife of an Army veteran was paraded naked in Manipur and medal-winning sportswomen alleged sexual abuse by a BJP leader.