Kokrajhar/Nagaon, Feb. 10: With Assam Assembly polls around the corner, BJP national president Amit Shah today pushed influx to the foreground, promising to protect jobs for local youths from illegal Bangladeshis.

He also said the BJP would share seats with the Bodoland People's Front and promised more than Rs 1,000 crore for development of the BTAD.

Addressing a huge gathering at the Bodoland Territorial Council secretariat ground in Kokrajhar town, Shah said, "The infiltrators are snatching jobs and facilities from the locals. If the BJP and BPF come to power, we will ensure that not a single illegal Bangladeshi snatches the rights of Assamese youths."

He accused the Congress government of playing vote bank politics and harbouring illegal migrants from across the border in the state. He said the BJP had accelerated the process of detection of illegal Bangladeshis since coming to power at the Centre and pledged to ensure that no fresh infiltration takes place if the party is voted to power in the Assembly polls.

"We will ensure not a single Bangladesh enters Assam," he said.

He also spoke on the issue later in the day in Nagaon. He said his party had taken up the matter of influx with Bangladesh and infiltration could be stopped permanently once the border fencing was completed in 2017.

Shah's promises, however, had few takers.

"The BJP had promised to solve the problem of infiltration in the state if it came to power at the Centre. But instead of fulfilling the promises, the party took U-turns on many of its assurances, including the land-swap deal with Bangladesh. It was against the deal before the parliamentary election but later signed it. It is hard to believe political parties. They say one thing before elections and do another after winning," a college teacher in Kokrajhar said.

A local youth said the BJP wanted to grant Indian citizenships to religious minorities from Bangladesh living in this country, which was illegal and against the interest of the indigenous people of Assam who are becoming minorities in their own land. "Words sound good before any election but does anyone remember them after elections are over?" he asked.

Earlier, Shah, who arrived at Kokrajhar from Guwahati by helicopter at 11.30am, attended a party meeting at the BTC Assembly. Accompanied by Union minister for sports and youth affairs Sarbananda Sonowal, who is the BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Assam, BJP MP from Assam Bijoya Chakravarty and Himanta Biswa Sarma, organiser in the party's state election management committee, he held a closed-door meeting with senior party functionaries from the four BTAD districts of Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri.

The BJP's Kokrajhar district president Sibnath Brahma said the meeting discussed party's prospects in the Assembly election this year. Shah said in the meeting that the BJP would share seats with the BPF in the BTAD.

Shah arrived at the adjacent secretariat ground to attend the Bodoland Day celebrations as chief guest around 12.30pm. The function marked 14 years of BTC Accord.

Shah said the Centre was committed to development of "Assam and Bodoland". He said uniform development in the country was an important aspect of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government. "Bodoland region must be developed on a par with other developed states. Development of the country cannot happen if one part lags behind. There must be equal development."

On the demand for a special Rs 1,000-crore package for the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) by BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary, who is also the BTC chief executive member, Shah said, "You have asked for Rs 1,000 crore but the Centre will give you more than that for the development of this part of the region."

He termed the BTC Accord signed between the Centre, the Assam government and the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) in 2003 a "success" as it had brought "peace and development in the region". He said the BJP and BPF fighting the election together would be historic for both "Assam and the Bodoland region".

Mohilary announced development projects, including free houses to the poor, financial aid to private and venture educational institutions, construction of bridges and steps to halt erosion.

Award-winning writers and sportspersons, who have brought laurels to the BTAD, were felicitated at the function. The Promod Chandra Brahma Literary Award and Nileswar Brahma Cultural Award, instituted by the BTC administration, were presented to Kameswar Brahma and Barlangfa Narzary respectively.

Shah left Kokrajhar at 1.30pm and arrived at Nagaon around 2.30pm.

He addressed a huge gathering of party workers from Nagaon, Morigaon, Koliabor, West Sonitpur and Hojai at Dauson higher secondary playground in Nagaon town.

He slammed the Congress government, saying Assam had regressed in the last 15 years of Congress rule. He reiterated his party's charges of corruption and misrule against the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government and asked party workers to work harder to bring the BJP to power. He alleged that the Congress had misutilised funds and claimed that its leaders were draining a lion's share of these funds.

"In the name of development, Tarun Gogoi took the initiative to drain out the money from central government to the houses of his cabinet colleagues. Our plan is to build a Congress-free India and for this (BJP) workers might work harder," Shah said.

This is Shah's maiden visit to Nagaon. He left for Guwahati at 3.30pm. He left for Delhi in the evening after a party meeting at the LGBI Airport.