Guwahati, Sept 6: Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the BJP high command taking note of Assam BJP unit have asked them to get the things in order before polls.
Sources said the party’s central leadership, after receiving several complaints from the Assam unit, has directed chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other senior members of the party to personally address aggrieved leaders.
It has been learned that senior BJP leaders were sidelined from all major discussions. The senior BJP members are not happy with the functioning of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Senior BJP leaders have said that their feelings of alienation stem from Sarma’s style of functioning and the absence of collective leadership.
Senior BJP leader Rajen Gohain recently resigned from the chairmanship of Assam Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Limited, alleging that the recent delimitation exercise of assemblies and parliamentary constituencies has rendered Nagaon seat unwinnable for BJP candidates in the future, also putting the people of Nagaon under threat because of the demography change.
Assam sends 14 MPs to the lower house, and with less than a year left for the general election, it is a matter of great concern that Himanta Biswa Sarma is facing resentment from his cadres.
“Most of the senior and dedicated BJP members are not happy with the functioning of Himanta Biswa Sarma. Himanta Biswa Sarma does things of his own choice. We are dedicated workers of the BJP; when Congress was dominated in Assam for several years, we worked at the grassroot level and told the people about the BJP. Now, we are sidelined by the new BJP members who don’t know anything about the BJP,” alleged a senior BJP member.
Sources said in light of this, BJP Assam in-charge Baijayant Jay Panda held multiple meetings with some disgruntled leaders on August 29 in Guwahati.
“The newcomers who had joined the party in 2015 were conspiring to chase away old party workers,” said a party source.
Himanta Biswa Sarma had quit the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government and joined the BJP in 2015 along with nine party MLAs.
