With parties announcing their first lists of candidates and filing nomination papers, the race for the Assam assembly polls has begun. But neither the ruling coalition nor the opposition alliances seem sure of who will head the next government in the state.
Despite having an incumbent chief minister in Sarbananda Sonowal, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not projected him as the party’s choice for the top post. This has led to speculations on whether it’s a poll strategy or something else within the party.
On Friday, when the BJP’s first list of 70 candidates was announced in New Delhi, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said the decision on the chief minister candidate would be taken by the party’s parliamentary board after the election.
The BJP, which came to power in Assam for the first time in 2016, is contesting the polls in alliance with the old ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which is contesting 26 seats, and new ally United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) which will put up candidates in eight seats.
“The decision on the chief minister is taken by the party parliamentary board after the election. We announce a CM candidate in states where we are not in power but in those where we are in government, we don’t do that. We will abide by whatever decision the party takes on this,” Assam BJP chief Ranjeet Kumar Dass told NDTV on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}“The decision on the chief minister is taken by the party parliamentary board after the election. We announce a CM candidate in states where we are not in power but in those where we are in government, we don’t do that. We will abide by whatever decision the party takes on this,” Assam BJP chief Ranjeet Kumar Dass told NDTV on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: CM Sarbananda Sonowal says people of Assam eager to bring back BJP-led govt
In 2016, the BJP had projected Sonowal as the CM candidate, this time around, there are speculations that the choice is open between him and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who is the convener of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a regional front of anti-Congress parties.
Sarma had earlier declared that he was not interested in contesting the assembly polls and had intimated his decision to the party leadership. As a caveat, he had added that any decision on him contesting would be taken by the party and he would abide by it.
While Sonowal would be contesting again from Majuli this time, Sarma will continue with his home constituency of Jalukbari. There are rumours that if Sonowal continues as the CM for another term, Sarma could be given a place in the Modi-led government at the Centre or if Sarma is given the charge, Sonowal could head to Delhi.
"There is a tussle between Sonowal and Sarma for the CM's post and BJP doesn't want to risk its election campaign by projecting one or the other as the face for the top post at present. Though the party is quiet on this tug of war between both leaders, it is clearly getting visible that Sarma is increasingly being projected as someone who can lead the campaign as well as take charge after the polls, if required," said Akhil Ranjan Dutta, political columnist and professor of political science at Gauhati University.
On the other hand, the Congress-led grand alliance, which comprises the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF), three Left parties and a newly formed regional party, has also decided not to put forward the name of a chief minister candidate.
Bickering within Congress’s senior leaders as well as differences with allies on a choice for the top post is believed to have forced the grand alliance to keep the decision on the CM in abeyance till after the polls.
The regional alliance of Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), which were formed last year as an outcome of the violent anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December 2019, have also refrained from naming a CM candidate. While the AJP is headed by Lurinjyoti Gogoi, jailed activist Akhil Gogoi is the president of the Raijor Dal.
The election in Assam will be held in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6.