Cost of success: On the BJP’s victory in Assam

The BJP’s path (मार्ग, रास्ता) to victory in Assam undermined (कमज़ोर बनाना, नुकसान पहुँचाना) the health of India’s polity (राजनीतिक व्यवस्था, राजनीतिक तंत्र)

Himanta Biswa Sarma is expected to take oath (शपथ लेना) as Chief Minister after leading the BJP to power in Assam yet again (एक बार फिर, फिर से). Mr. Sarma was a Congress leader when the party came to power in the north-eastern State in 2011, but switching sides (पक्ष बदलना, दल बदलना) in 2015, he became the central (केंद्रीय, मुख्य) figure (personality, individual, person, leader) of the BJP not only in Assam but also in States around it. Starting in 2001 on a Congress ticket (candidacy, nomination, endorsement, mandate), he has won six consecutive (लगातार, निरंतर) elections from the same Assembly (विधानसभा) seat (निर्वाचन क्षेत्र, सीट). Having emerged as a very powerful leader, he joined the BJP, and was appointed Chief Minister in 2021. Since then, he has reshaped (reorganize, alter, change, transform) the politics of the State through exceptional (extraordinary, uncommon, rare) organisational ability (संगठनात्मक क्षमता), communal rhetoric (the art of speaking or writing effectively, often characterized by persuasive but sometimes divisive or empty language; bombast, loftiness, hyperbole/extravagant language), and the partisan (पक्षपाती, एकपक्षीय) use of state power (राज्य शक्ति, सरकारी अधिकार). An infrastructure (आधारभूत संरचना) push (a vigorous or determined attempt or effort to achieve something; effort, drive, initiative, campaign) combined with welfare (social well-being, social security, public assistance, benefit) delivery — the Orunodoi scheme (an umbrella poverty alleviation programme of the Government of Assam that provides monthly direct financial assistance to vulnerable households, primarily targeting women to empower them financially) of direct cash transfer (the electronic transfer of government subsidies or financial assistance directly into the bank accounts of targeted beneficiaries) to women and Mission Basundhara (a flagship public service delivery initiative by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Government of Assam, mandated to streamline, update, and digitise land records to protect land rights and resolve public grievances), a flagship (representing the best, most important, or primary initiative of an organization or government; premier, leading, principal, primary) initiative to streamline (rationalize, simplify, organize, optimize) and digitise (computerize, electronically record, digitalize, modernize) land records and protect land rights — not only enabled (facilitate, make possible, permit, allow) the BJP’s deep (extensive, profound, intense, thorough) expansion (growth, enlargement, extension, spreading), but along with (together with, in addition to, accompanying, alongside) other measures (action, step, procedure, move), including the delimitation (the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body) of Assembly constituencies in 2023, reshaped the State’s political landscape (the distinctive features of a particular situation or intellectual activity; scenario, environment, condition, situation). Mr. Sarma has been both the creator and the principal beneficiary of this process.

The BJP’s victory in Assam has significant implications (consequence, result, ramification, repercussion) for power dynamics (the forces or properties that stimulate growth, development, or change within a system or process; forces, mechanisms, changes, interplay) within the party nationally. Mr. Sarma is perceived (seen, regarded, considered, viewed) to be close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The BJP alone commands (have control over, hold, possess, exercise) a majority in the 126-strong Assembly, and the ruling (currently exercising authority or in control of the government; governing, reigning, in power, leading) coalition (alliance, union, partnership, bloc) has 102 members. The BJP has not only decimated (destroy, wipe out, annihilate, severely weaken) the Opposition but also rendered (to cause to be or become; make, cause to be, leave, turn into) regional parties inconsequential (not important or significant; insignificant, unimportant, trivial, negligible). It has consolidated (strengthen, stabilize, reinforce) a spectrum (a wide range of different positions, opinions, or groups of people; range, variety, array, scope) of fragmented (broken or separated into distinct parts; divided, splintered, fractured, disconnected) social groups and diluted (weaken, reduce, diminish, lessen) the linguistic (relating to language or the study of language; language-based, lingual, phonetic, dialectal) and ethnic (relating to a population subgroup with a common national or cultural tradition) politics of the State. But in doing so, it has sharply (distinctly, intensely, strongly, abruptly) polarised (to divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs; divide, separate, split, fracture) Assam along religious lines (boundaries or divisions within a society based on religious affiliations; faith-based division, communal divide). The delimitation carved out constituencies by packing and cracking (an electoral manipulation strategy where specific demographic groups are disproportionately concentrated into a few districts (packing) or dispersed across many districts (cracking) to dilute their political representation; gerrymander, manipulate boundaries, redistrict unfairly, skew constituencies) communities in ways that (in a manner that, such that, to the extent that) suppress Muslim representation (participation, presence, voice, delegation), with the BJP and the Congress now mirroring (reflect, match, parallel, correspond to) a Hindu-Muslim binary (a system or situation consisting of two mutually exclusive or contrasted parts; dichotomy, duality, split) in the newly elected Assembly. Eviction (expulsion, removal, clearance, ousting) drives have disproportionately (unevenly, unequally, inordinately, heavily) targeted Bengali-speaking Muslim communities; 40,000 individuals were displaced (to force someone to leave their home, typically because of war, persecution, or official policy; uproot, dislocate, force out, move) in 2025 alone, officially framed (to formulate or present an idea or action in a particular way; present, portray, define, describe) as anti-encroachment (relating to actions or operations aimed at removing illegal occupations or unauthorized structures on public or private land) action but widely (broadly, extensively, universally, generally) seen as (perceived as, regarded as, considered to be, viewed as) selective (discriminatory, biased, specific, particular) targeting. Assam is a sensitive border region, and the BJP’s approach to its governance (administration, management, rule, government) needs to be commensurately (proportionately, correspondingly, equally, equivalently) sensitive. All parties have a legitimate (valid, lawful, authentic, justifiable) right to consolidate themselves and win elections. But that must be done with the utmost (most extreme or greatest; maximum, highest, greatest, supreme) attention (the action of dealing with or taking special care of someone or something; focus, consideration, observation, scrutiny) to the long-term (lasting, enduring, prolonged, sustained) health (the general condition, state, or soundness of a system or organization; condition, state) of the polity and the interests (the advantage or benefit of a person or group; benefit, advantage) of the country as a whole (entirely, altogether, collectively, generally). At this moment of triumph, the BJP in Assam would do well to reflect (show, display, demonstrate, indicate) on the costs of the victory that it has just secured (obtain, acquire, gain).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.cost (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लागत, कीमत
English Meaning - the loss, damage, or penalty involved in achieving a goal; price, sacrifice, toll, penalty.

2.path (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मार्ग, रास्ता
English Meaning - a course of action or way of achieving a specified result; method, approach, route, trajectory.

3.undermine (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कमज़ोर बनाना, नुकसान पहुँचाना
English Meaning - weaken, subvert, sabotage, compromise.

4.polity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राजनीतिक व्यवस्था, राजनीतिक तंत्र
English Meaning - a politically organized society, state, or nation, or the form of government of such a unit; political system, political organization.

5.take oath (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - शपथ लेना
English Meaning - to make a formal promise to fulfill the duties of an office before officially assuming power; swear in, assume office, take power.

6.yet again (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - एक बार फिर, फिर से
English Meaning - once more, for another time, anew.

7.switch sides (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - पक्ष बदलना, दल बदलना
English Meaning - to change one’s allegiance from one political party, group, or cause to another; defect, cross over, change loyalties, flip.

8.central (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - केंद्रीय, मुख्य
English Meaning - of the greatest importance to a situation or organization; main, chief, principal, key.

9.consecutive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लगातार, निरंतर
English Meaning - successive, in a row, continuous, back-to-back.

10.Assembly (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधानसभा
English Meaning - a body of people elected to make laws for a state; legislative assembly, state legislature, parliament, Vidhan Sabha.

11.seat (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निर्वाचन क्षेत्र, सीट
English Meaning - constituency, electoral district.

12.infrastructure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आधारभूत संरचना
English Meaning - the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society.

13.organisational ability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संगठनात्मक क्षमता
English Meaning - the capacity to plan, arrange, and manage resources or people effectively to achieve political or institutional goals; managerial skill, administrative capability, coordination skill.

14.partisan (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पक्षपाती, एकपक्षीय
English Meaning - biased, prejudiced, one-sided, discriminatory.

15.state power (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राज्य शक्ति, सरकारी अधिकार
English Meaning - the authority and capacity of the government to govern, enforce laws, and manage public affairs; government authority, sovereign power.

16.health (noun)

English Meaning - the general condition, state, or soundness of a system or organization; condition, state.

17.rhetoric (noun)

English Meaning - the art of speaking or writing effectively, often characterized by persuasive but sometimes divisive or empty language; bombast, loftiness, hyperbole/extravagant language.

18.exceptional (adjective)

English Meaning - extraordinary, uncommon, rare.

19.Cost of success (phrase)

English Meaning - the negative consequences, sacrifices, or compromises made in order to achieve a victory or desired outcome; price of victory, toll of achievement, burden of winning, fallout.

20.figure (noun)

English Meaning - personality, individual, person, leader.

21.ticket (noun)

English Meaning - candidacy, nomination, endorsement, mandate.

22.reshape (verb)

English Meaning - reorganize, alter, change, transform.

23.push (noun)

English Meaning - a vigorous or determined attempt or effort to achieve something; effort, drive, initiative, campaign.

24.welfare (noun)

English Meaning - social well-being, social security, public assistance, benefit.

25.Orunodoi scheme (noun)

English Meaning - an umbrella poverty alleviation programme of the Government of Assam that provides monthly direct financial assistance to vulnerable households, primarily targeting women to empower them financially.

26.direct cash transfer (noun)

English Meaning - the electronic transfer of government subsidies or financial assistance directly into the bank accounts of targeted beneficiaries.

27.Mission Basundhara (noun)

English Meaning - a flagship public service delivery initiative by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Government of Assam, mandated to streamline, update, and digitise land records to protect land rights and resolve public grievances.

28.flagship (adjective)

English Meaning - representing the best, most important, or primary initiative of an organization or government; premier, leading, principal, primary.

29.streamline (verb)

English Meaning - rationalize, simplify, organize, optimize.

30.digitise (verb)

English Meaning - computerize, electronically record, digitalize, modernize.

31.enable (verb)

English Meaning - facilitate, make possible, permit, allow.

32.deep (adjective)

English Meaning - extensive, profound, intense, thorough.

33.expansion (noun)

English Meaning - growth, enlargement, extension, spreading.

34.along with (phrase)

English Meaning - together with, in addition to, accompanying, alongside.

35.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, procedure, move.

36.delimitation (noun)

English Meaning - the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body.

37.constituency (noun)

English Meaning - a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body; electoral district, voting area, seat.

38.landscape (noun)

English Meaning - the distinctive features of a particular situation or intellectual activity; scenario, environment, condition, situation.

39.implication (noun)

English Meaning - consequence, result, ramification, repercussion.

40.dynamics (noun)

English Meaning - the forces or properties that stimulate growth, development, or change within a system or process; forces, mechanisms, changes, interplay.

41.perceived (verb)

English Meaning - seen, regarded, considered, viewed.

42.command (verb)

English Meaning - have control over, hold, possess, exercise.

43.ruling (adjective)

English Meaning - currently exercising authority or in control of the government; governing, reigning, in power, leading.

44.coalition (noun)

English Meaning - alliance, union, partnership, bloc.

45.decimate (verb)

English Meaning - destroy, wipe out, annihilate, severely weaken.

46.the Opposition (noun)

English Meaning - rival parties, political opponents, challengers.

47.render (verb)

English Meaning - to cause to be or become; make, cause to be, leave, turn into.

48.inconsequential (adjective)

English Meaning - not important or significant; insignificant, unimportant, trivial, negligible.

49.consolidate (verb)

English Meaning - strengthen, stabilize, reinforce.

50.spectrum (noun)

English Meaning - a wide range of different positions, opinions, or groups of people; range, variety, array, scope.

51.fragmented (adjective)

English Meaning - broken or separated into distinct parts; divided, splintered, fractured, disconnected.

52.dilute (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, reduce, diminish, lessen.

53.linguistic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to language or the study of language; language-based, lingual, phonetic, dialectal.

54.ethnic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a population subgroup with a common national or cultural tradition.

55.sharply (adverb)

English Meaning - distinctly, intensely, strongly, abruptly.

56.polarise (verb)

English Meaning - to divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs; divide, separate, split, fracture.

57.religious line (phrase)

English Meaning - boundaries or divisions within a society based on religious affiliations; faith-based division, communal divide.

58.carve out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to create or establish something through careful effort; create, form, establish, make.

59.packing and cracking (phrase)

English Meaning - an electoral manipulation strategy where specific demographic groups are disproportionately concentrated into a few districts (packing) or dispersed across many districts (cracking) to dilute their political representation; gerrymander, manipulate boundaries, redistrict unfairly, skew constituencies.

60.in ways that (phrase)

English Meaning - in a manner that, such that, to the extent that.

61.suppress (verb)

English Meaning - stifle, repress, curb, restrict.

62.representation (noun)

English Meaning - participation, presence, voice, delegation.

63.mirror (verb)

English Meaning - reflect, match, parallel, correspond to.

64.binary (noun)

English Meaning - a system or situation consisting of two mutually exclusive or contrasted parts; dichotomy, duality, split.

65.Eviction (noun)

English Meaning - expulsion, removal, clearance, ousting.

66.drive (noun)

English Meaning - campaign, movement, effort, initiative.

67.disproportionately (adverb)

English Meaning - unevenly, unequally, inordinately, heavily.

68.displace (verb)

English Meaning - to force someone to leave their home, typically because of war, persecution, or official policy; uproot, dislocate, force out, move.

69.frame (verb)

English Meaning - to formulate or present an idea or action in a particular way; present, portray, define, describe.

70.anti-encroachment (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to actions or operations aimed at removing illegal occupations or unauthorized structures on public or private land.

71.widely (adverb)

English Meaning - broadly, extensively, universally, generally.

72.seen as (phrase)

English Meaning - perceived as, regarded as, considered to be, viewed as.

73.selective (adjective)

English Meaning - discriminatory, biased, specific, particular.

74.governance (noun)

English Meaning - administration, management, rule, government.