Himanta Biswa Sarma: From a rebel Congress leader to Assam Chief Minister

Himanta Biswa Sarma has by no means minced his phrases in relation to criticising the Congress occasion and Rahul Gandhi.

After remaining CM-in-waiting for about seven years, Himanta Biswa Sarma lastly reached Assam’s high submit on Could 10 after the BJP determined to go forward together with his appointment, changing Sarbananda Sonowal. Whereas Sonowal and Sarma share an in depth bond and it was Sonowal who moved Himanta’s title for the CM’s submit throughout BJP’s legislative occasion assembly, each the leaders have been an equally standard alternative for the submit. Reportedly, Sarma’s fallout with the Congress was primarily as a consequence of his ambition in addition to on account of senior occasion leaders sidelining him, preferring then CM Tarun Gogoi. Sarma is a four-time MLA and has been a minister in all governments since 2001. He was rewarded by his mentors together with former Congress chief ministers Hiteswar Saikia and Tarun Gogoi for his sharp political acumen. Beneath their management, Sarma bought ample alternatives to rise and shine.

As a Convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), Sarma had managed to convey all eight North-Japanese states throughout the NDA’s fold and performed an important position in serving to the BJP kind a second consecutive authorities in Assam. Notably, the BJP is the one non-Congress occasion within the state to retain energy after the primary time period. This speaks a quantity about Sarma’s skill to get work achieved in opposition to all odds. Notably, Sarma was the chief architect of the Congress occasion’s large victory within the 2011 Meeting polls when the occasion bagged 78 seats out of 126.

So how was it that the Congress management did not placate him regardless of his affect and his position within the occasion’s success? Sarma, who joined the BJP in 2015, has been a vocal critic of Rahul Gandhi since then in nearly each interview to the media. He had alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s whimsical angle is harming the occasion. When he resigned from Congress in 2015, he wrote a scathing letter to Sonia Gandhi, through which he alleged that Congress lacks inner-party democracy. “Once I had humbly instructed Rahul Gandhi in entrance of Central observers that 52 MLAs out of 79 categorically and emphatically sought the ouster of Tarun Gogoi, he answered so arrogantly that it’s his prerogative to alter chief minister.”

Since then, Sarma has by no means minced his phrases in relation to criticising the Congress occasion and Rahul Gandhi. In certainly one of his interviews, he stated that Rahul Gandhi could also be a superb human being however he isn’t a superb politician. In one other interview, he had stated that Rahul Gandhi’s phrases don’t match his actions.

In 2017, when Rahul Gandhi shared a brief video of his canine ‘Piddi’ consuming treats, it was Himanta who countered him with a tweet. “Sir @OfficeOfRG, who is aware of him higher than me. Nonetheless bear in mind you busy feeding biscuits 2 him whereas we needed to debate pressing Assam’s points,” stated Sarma who met Gandhi a number of occasions in 2015 earlier than calling it quits.

Sir @OfficeOfRG,who is aware of him higher than me.Nonetheless bear in mind you busy feeding biscuits 2 him whereas We needed to debate pressing Assam’s points https://t.co/Eiu7VsuvL1

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 29, 2017

Sarma’s leaning in the direction of politics turned evident throughout his faculty days within the early Nineteen Eighties when he began working beneath then AASU leaders Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Bhrigu Kumar Phukan. Former Congress Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia took Himanta beneath his wings whereas the latter was pursuing his legislation diploma from the Guwahati College. Notably, he wrested the Jalukbari constituency in 2001 as a Congress candidate from AGP’s Phukan who held the constituency between 1985 and 1996. He then labored beneath Tarun Gogoi and went on to develop into his blue-eyed boy till Gaurav Gogoi entered politics. Whereas Tarun Gogoi made his precedence clear when it comes to his successor, Sarma’s politicking to make himself a attainable chief minister after Gogoi didn’t seem to materialize within the Congress. Following this, he held a number of futile conferences with Rahul Gandhi and at last resigned from the occasion in 2015.

Whereas the BJP, which had accused him as soon as of corruption, welcomed him with open arms and was made the Convenor of Assam BJP’s Election Administration Committee. When he, together with Sonowal, scripted BJP’s historic win, Sarma was made a Cupboard minister with the essential portfolios of Finance, Well being and Household Welfare, Training and Public Works Division. With the BJP securing Assam for the second consecutive time, he’s now on the helm of affairs within the state.