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Assam: BJP MLA congratulates Gaurav Gogoi; Himanta says he could join Congress
The CM stated that whether someone is an entrant to BJP or an old timer, they should have all come together and congratulated PM Modi on the party’s third consecutive win
A congratulatory message by a ruling BJP MLA in Assam to newly elected Congress MP from Jorhat, Gaurav Gogoi, has once again brought to fore differences between ‘old timers’ and ‘new entrants’ in the saffron party in the northeastern state.
On Tuesday, soon after Gogoi, the son of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, won against sitting BJP MP Topon Kumar Gogoi, Khumtai MLA Mrinal Saikia posted a congratulatory message on social media platforms.
“Special congratulations Gaurav Gogoi. This result is very significant in many ways. The outcome proved that money, big publicity, overdoses of leaders, arrogant speeches do not always help win elections,” Saikia posted on Facebook and X.
Thanking Saikia, Gogoi stated that though they are on “opposite sides of the political spectrum”, he respects the Khumtai MLA’s commitment to the people of his constituency, especially during floods.
This general election, Gogoi, who had won in the past from Kaliabor, shifted to Jorhat following delimitation of constituencies last year. The ruling BJP, led by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and many of his ministers had devoted considerable time and energy to Jorhat in a bid to defeat Gogoi. But that didn’t happen.
“Mrinal Saikia didn’t congratulate PM Narendra Modi on his win, but he congratulated a winning Congress candidate. From that I assume that he won’t stay in BJP for many more days. Our party president, Bhabesh Kalita, will talk to him on his future course,” CM Sarma responded when asked about Saikia’s greetings to Gogoi.
The CM stated that whether someone is an entrant to BJP or an old timer, they should have all come together and congratulated PM Modi on the party’s third consecutive win.
Reacting to Sarma, the MLA said despite differences with the opposition, there’s a tradition of congratulating them on their achievements. Saikia also rejected the CM’s suggestion that he may leave the BJP.
“I joined the BJP in 1994 when the party didn’t have any possibility of forming a government in Assam. If I had wanted, I could have joined the Congress or the Asom Gana Parishad. But I joined the BJP following the examples and ideologies set by the likes of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. There’s no question of joining another party,” Saikia said.
On Wednesday, Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita stated that he would talk to Saikia about his message to Gogoi and it would also be discussed within the party.
CM Sarma and several of his close MLAs from the Congress joined the BJP in 2015. Though they were welcomed warmly initially, since last year several senior leaders have expressed unhappiness at the style of functioning of the new entrants.
Last year, former Union minister Rajen Gohain had even complained to Union home minister Amit Shah about it. The former BJP state president again raised the issue after the second phase of polling for Lok Sabha seats in the state and ahead of voting for the remaining four seats in the third phase.
“I had pointed this out in the past, but no one listens. There’s an air of despondency and disappointment among party workers. Maybe the party will face its consequences not just in Assam, but across India,” the 73-year-old had said in April.
