Monday, 10 May 2021 | Deepak K Upreti | New Delhi
BJP offers Sonowal any role he chooses
Assam on Sunday saw the literal realisation of the BJP’s campaign song “Aahise aahise Himanta aahise” heralding the coming of Himanta Biswa Sarma. The wily and resourceful troubleshooter for the BJP in the North-East pipped the low-key gentle politician Sarbananda Sonowal in the Chief Minister’s race.
With the blessing of Home Minister Amit Shah at the Centre and the support of the majority of the MLAs in the State, Sarma is set to take oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam at a simple ceremony on Monday in Gauwhati.
This is perhaps for the first time in the BJP politics that a seating Chief Minister who led his party to victory has been made to make way for a new face.
Sonowal who resigned as Chief Minister soon after BJP’s central observer Narendra Singh Tomar announced the “unanimous” election of Sarma as BJP’s legislature party leader is expected to be moved to the Central Ministry and “maybe elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam.”
The outgoing Chief Minister proposed the name of Sarma as a legislative party leader. But it was not before Himanta Sarma drove to Sonowal’s home amid a report that the Chief Minister was unhappy over the treatment meted out to him.
“Sonowal may also be given a significant role in the North-East affair,” said sources who were quick to add that the the central leadership has given him “freedom to outline and suggest a role that suits him”.
Sonowal, who was sports Minister at the Centre before he was hand-picked by Prime Minister Modi as Assam CM in 2916, is not inclined to cut his umbilical chord with his home State that would allow an “over-ambitious” Sarma to undercut his clout in the State polity, said a State leader who spoke of “unhappiness” in the Sonowal camp over side-lining of a CM who led party to a successive victory.
Sarma who staked his claim to form the government in a meeting with Governor Jagdish Mukhi would announce his cabinet after swearing-in ceremony “ inducting new dynamic blood, including his loyalists”.
Arrangements are underway at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati for the swearing-in ceremony which would be attended by BJP president J P Nadda and regulated under Covid19 protocol.
According to sources, BJP picked Sarma as it wanted an “aggressive and resourceful leader” who has “resonance” beyond Assam and could consolidate BJP’s political gains via-a-vis the Congress in the region and skillfully tackle controversies emanating from CAA and NPR.
His initiative in floating North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) that brought together non-Congress forces together, been cited to appreciate his dynamic leadership.
Himanta’s increasing clout across the Northeast has proved to be an asset for the BJP and party insiders suggest that the party can’t afford to annoy or lose him, given North-East’s importance in the Modi-scheme of things and “polarised politics” across the NE.
Sarma’s hyper-Hindutva shouts found favour with the BJP central leadership, particularly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah to whom he is known close to since his cross-over from the Congress.
As the health minister of Assam, Sarma’s handling of the Covid crisis has been appreciated and as the finance minister he is credited for implementing some of the most important welfare schemes, which have yielded rich electoral dividend to the party.
This apart, BJP allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) also tilted the balance by support to Sarma’s leadership said sources.
Sarma would form the government with the support of 59 BJP MLAs, 9 AGP MLAs and 6 MLAs of UPPL in 126 Assam assembly.
