Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on identity politics in Assam, the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 and ensuring repatriation of Indian seafarers in conflict zones. He was in conversation with Vikas Pathak, Deputy Associate Editor, The Indian Express . Vikas Pathak: In the past, it was the splitting of the Bengali-speaking Muslim votes that brought the BJP into an important position but in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Bengali-speaking Muslims significantly shifted towards the Congress. As far as the Muslim population in Assam is concerned, it was around 34 per cent in the 2011 Census. It might well be around 40 per cent in the present Census and a large chunk of that is Bengali-speaking Muslims. If the consolidation stays on in favour of the Congress, do you think the Congress’s prospects will improve in these elections? The people of Assam are concerned about illegal Bangladeshi Muslims settled by previous Congress regimes to create a vote bank.…