Guwahati( Assam), May 2 : After BJP’s landslide win for the second consecutive term the party will have a tough time in deciding its CM nominee .
It has been seen that BJP projects an incumbent chief minister in places where it is trying to retain power, but this time around it has not announced Sarbananda Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate here . Despite repeated queries to the leadership they have been maintaining that the party parliamentary board will take a call.
Picking the leadership would be a big challenge for the party considering the influence Sarma has in the state unit and in the BJP party . He is considered the backbone of the BJP in the northeast region. . But the party has to have a reason to replace Sonowal, who delivered in the last term and enjoys a clean image .
The party leadership would also have to reward Sarma, who had apparently been promised of the top post long back, for his contribution for the party in the state and in the region.
The choice of leader of the legislative party is something which is decided by democratic means. Once results are notified& assembly is constituted, a due decision would be taken with cognizance of highest opulence of our party, said BJP leader and Union Minister Jitendra Singh .
The magic figure in the state is 64 and BJP has created history in the state by becoming the only non-Congress government to win consecutive terms.
The election was very different from the other states as Assam was the only place where it fought to retain power.
Himanta Biswa Sarma has also emerged as the face of the BJP in the last few years.His management of the Covid-19 pandemic situation and his leadership as the finance minister have helped the BJP secure a clear win over the Congress-led combine in the state.
Earlier, counting of votes began at 8 am today amid strict health protocols and a three-tier security apparatus was arranged at the 331 counting halls across the state that voted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6.
Leading the alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), the BJP faced stiff competition from the Congress-led Grand Alliance .
BJP had contested 92 seats in alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad, which has contested 26 seats. In the opposition Grand Alliance, the Congress had contested 94 seats, whereas Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF had contested 14.
The people of Assam have again blessed the NDA’s development agenda and the pro-people track record of our Government in the state. I thank the people of Assam for the blessings. I appreciate the hard work of NDA Karyakartas and their untiring efforts in serving the people.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 2, 2021
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CM Sarbananda Sonowal and party president J P Nadda on BJP’s ‘impressive victory’ in the state.
In a tweet, Singh said the pro-people policies of the Modi-led government and the state government under Sonowal have once again helped the BJP in winning the assembly elections in Assam.
After the poor performance in the Assam Assembly polls, Ripun Bora who himself lost his seat tendered his resignation as the Congress state unit president. Writing to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Bora lamented that the party was unable to combat the “divisive and communal” politics of BJP and RSS.
As per the Election Commission , Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal won from Majuli once again by trouncing his nearest opposition Rajib Lochan Pegu with a margin of over 43,000 votes.
Sonowal said the people had blessed them. “A victory for Barak-Brahmaputra, Hills & Plains. Thank you Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi,” he said. “We can say for sure that the BJP will form government in Assam. We are coming back to power with our partners AGP and UPPL,” he added .
Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala conceded defeat in Assam. He promised that his party will continue to play the role of an effective opposition in the state.
