Guwahati, 19 February (HS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah is arriving in Silchar town of Cachar district on Thursday night for a three-day visit to Assam, ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

According to police officials, Shah will stay overnight in Silchar before visiting the BSF’s Natanpur border outpost along the India-Bangladesh border on February 20. During the visit, he is scheduled to review the security situation, with special focus on border management in view of the upcoming polls.

At Natanpur, the Home Minister will launch the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), a central initiative aimed at strengthening infrastructure and improving livelihood opportunities in border areas. The programme seeks to curb migration from remote villages by generating employment and upgrading connectivity.

Later in the evening, Shah will address a BJP rally in the Barak Valley, formally launching the party’s election campaign in the region. The Barak Valley, comprising three districts in southern Assam, is considered crucial for the BJP’s electoral prospects. After the rally, he will travel to Agartala in Tripura and return to Guwahati the same evening.

On Saturday, Shah will attend the annual parade of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at the Arjun Bhogeswar Barua Sports Complex in Guwahati. This will reportedly be the first time the CRPF annual parade is being held in the Northeast, a move seen as symbolically significant for the region.

He will also lay the foundation stone of the new campus of the 10th Assam Police Battalion at Kasutoli in Sonapur near Guwahati.

The BJP is aiming to form the government for a third consecutive term in the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly, with elections likely to be held in March–April. Recently, a team of the Election Commission led by the Chief Election Commissioner visited Guwahati for three days to review poll preparedness, indicating that the announcement of the Assembly elections could be made at any time.----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash