'Assam poses tough call to BJP over next CM face'

Although there is nothing against the incumbent Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the past five years which can pull him back from the race to top seat yet it will also be very difficult particularly for the saffron party to overlook the ever-increasing popularity of Assam's finance and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while deciding on the state's next Chief Minister, writes ETV Bharat's Assistant News Editor, Anup Sharma.

Hyderabad:The question seems to be bothering a lot of people in Assam as the election to the 126-member Assam legislative assembly is drawing closer.

Although there is nothing against the incumbent Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the past five years which can pull him back from the race to top seat yet it will also be very difficult particularly for the saffron party to overlook the ever-increasing popularity of Assam's finance and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while deciding on the state's next Chief Minister.

The saffron party this time has not announced the chief ministerial candidate for Assam. The party has maintained that the central election committee of the saffron party will take a decision in this regard at an opportune time.

Unlike 2016, the people of the state have also missed the slogan "Sabka Anand Sarbanand" (a slogan coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in 2016 meaning only Sarbanand Sonowal can bring happiness to the state) this time, leaving everyone to speculate that Sonowal may not be the choice this time.

Sonowal was hailed as "Jatiya Nayak" (National Hero) in Assam for his role in getting the infamous Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act repealed in 2005. A regional political leader, Sonowal joined the BJP in 2011 and in 2014 he was appointed by the BJP leadership to head the Lok Sabha Elections in Assam. Sonowal took the mantle of the party in Assam when it was not very popular and successfully brought the party to victory in Assam in 2016.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, on the other hand, joined the BJP only in 2015 but was not only instrumental in the saffron party's 2016 victory in Assam but also responsible for the 'lotus bloom' in northeastern states, subsequent to the BJP's 2016 victory in Assam. Sarma is also the convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a BJP led political platform for the Northeast.

However, while Sonowal has always maintained a dignified image among the people, Sarma is a mass leader who was seen charming all sections of people taking from the youth to senior citizens to the women of the house. Rallies and speeches of Sarma were often seen going viral on social media, which have also earned him a nickname "Mama" (meaning maternal uncle in Assamese).

Although never acknowledged by the saffron party, there has always been two factions in the party in Assam--one led by the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while the other led by Himanta Biswa Sarma. The speculation over the Chief Ministerial candidate gained momentum in the run-up to the elections for different reasons. When the party declared its list of candidates for the assembly polls, it included mostly the loyalists of Himanta Biswa Sarma while the candidates backed by the Chief Minister could not make it to the list.

"Some of the candidates had just joined BJP and got tickets as they are close to Himanta Biswa Sarma. Many candidates who had been working genuinely for the party failed to get the tickets, some of them were even backed by Sonowal," said a disgruntled BJP leader on condition of anonymity.

Common people are, however, are divided on the issue. While some of the people want Sonowal to continue as the Chief Minister if a BJP government comes to power, others want Himanta Biswa Sarma to lead the state, particularly due to the role played by him during the COVID-19 period. People remembered how the minister visited one hospital to another during the challenging times of COVID-19, comforting and helping the people.

Although everyone will have to wait till May 2 for the election results, the BJP is sure to have a tough time deciding on the next chief minister of Assam if the party comes to power for a second time.