Assam Minister of Health Himanta Biswa Sarma is on cloud nine. The saffron party’s national leadership has asked him to choose a seat anywhere in the country to fight the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. The party leadership is pretty “impressed” with his role in expanding BJP’s foothold in the Northeast, especially Assam.
A report published in the The Times of India quoted state BJP president Ranjit Dass as saying, “When our national leadership conveyed to me the party wants Himanta to fight the Lok Sabha election and can choose any constituency, I immediately replied it was a great decision but requested Assam be given priority over other states before finalising the constituency for him.”
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A BJP source said, “Himanta’s candidature for Tezpur constituency is final and it is only a matter of making a formal announcement by Amit Shah on Saturday.” However, not everyone is happy with this decision of BJP’s national leadership. Incumbent MP from Tezpur, Ram Prasad Sarmah, has quit BJP as it had become crystal clear that he will not be given a ticket for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
The report further stated that he announced his resignation on Saturday through social media. He has resigned after serving the saffron party “dedicatedly” for 29 years and working with “full sincerity” for the RSS and VHP. Making a veiled hint at Himanta, Sarmah said, “I feel really pained in my heart for those old BJP workers of Assam who were most neglected in the party by the new intruders in the party.” Sarmah had wrested the seat from AGP in 2014. Himanta, who represents Jalukbari in the Assembly, has never contested a Lok Sabha election.