Assam Elections: Parties Woo Tea Tribes with Renewed Promises, Old Demands Persist

• Assam's influential tea tribe, with 3.5 million voters, is a key bloc in over 35 constituencies, impacting 10 more.
• Longstanding demands include Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, higher wages, and land rights.
• BJP highlights welfare measures, land rights, and wage hikes (₹126 to ₹280 in Brahmaputra Valley) with a promise of ₹500.
• Congress criticizes BJP's claims, alleging 'digital pattas' lack legal validity and failure to grant ST status or ₹351 wages.
• Opposition pledges ST status, industrial minimum wages, and expanded welfare; smaller parties also vie for tea tribe votes.