The Himanta Biswa Sarma factor in Assam polls

Firefighting is Himanta Biswa Sarma’s forte. On Friday, the senior Assam minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s face in northeast, did just that by convincing a sitting legislator not to contest as an Independent against the party’s official candidate

Firefighting is Himanta Biswa Sarma’s forte. On Friday, the senior Assam minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s face in northeast, did just that by convincing a sitting legislator not to contest as an Independent against the party’s official candidate.

Himanta Biswa Sarma. (File photo)

Upset with denial of ticket, Shiladitya Dev, BJP MLA from Hojai seat in central Assam, had resigned from the party and was planning on contesting independently against Ram Krishna Ghosh, who was given the ticket.

Sarma, along with BJP’s national general secretary Dilip Saikia, flew to Hojai in a chopper and after a long discussion at Dev’s residence persuaded the latter not to file nomination papers and instead campaign for Ghosh and other party candidates across Assam.

“I feel proud that such a big leader like Sarma, who is called Chanakya of Assam, came to my house to discuss my grievances. I feel convinced by his assurances and have decided not to contest as a Independent or leave the party platform,” Dev said later.

Dev, who is vocal about issues concerning Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, is an influential leader and if he had contested against the BJP’s official candidate, it could have hurt the party’s winning prospects in Hojai. But Sarma’s intervention saved the day for BJP.

The 52-year-old Sarma has been a key figure in Assam politics for two decades now. But Sarma, who quit Tarun Gogoi’s Congress government in 2015 to join the BJP, has had a meteoric rise in the saffron party and his influence is not restricted to Assam but can be seen across the region.

Sarma’s political acumen and oratorical skills played a key role in BJP winning 60 of the total 126 seats in 2016 and forming the party’s first government in Assam with alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland Peoples’ Front. Despite being new to the party, Sarma was given four crucial departments — health, education, finance and public works — in the Sarbananda Sonowal cabinet.

As convener of North East Demoratic Alliance (NEDA), a BJP-led front of anti-Congress parties in northeast, Sarma shares a close rapport with senior politicians in all seven states of the region. His role was crucial in BJP forming its first government in Manipur in 2017 despite the party winning 21 seats, seven less than Congress, in the 60 member assembly.

Over the past five years, Sarma has made a mark beyond the region and become a known face across the country — a rarity for politicians from the northeast. He is consulted by the BJP leadership for any issue concerning Assam and the region and, more often than not, his suggestions are accepted.

Due to his position in the Assam cabinet and in NEDA, Sarma’s stature has grown to such extent that he sometimes mistaken by some from outside the region as the CM instead of Sonowal. An astute politician, Sarma has never tried to overtly compete with Sonowal for the top post.

But Sarma has his political ambitions. Despite being close to Tarun Gogoi and considered his protégé, Sarma quit Congress and joined BJP when the former started promoting his son Gaurav, who is now a Lok Sabha MP.

In 2019, ahead of the general elections, Sarma had indicated his intentions to leave state politics and shift base to New Delhi where he could play a bigger role. But the BJP leadership decided against it. However, in a rare gesture, then BJP president Amit Shah issued a statement that the party needed Sarma’s services in the poll campaign in northeast and could not afford to have him restricted to just one seat.

Last month, Sarma stated that he had written to BJP state unit chief Ranjeet Kumar Dass in February, 2020 expressing his desire not to contest the coming assembly polls — this was seen by many observers as a signal to the party that Sarma sought something more than his current position in the Assam government. He also added that he would follow any decision regarding him taken by the party.

Sarma has been representing the Jalukbari seat continuously since 2001 and this time too that party gave him ticket from the seat. Though, polling in Jalukbari would take place in the third and final phase on April 6, his candidature was announced along with names of candidates for the first phase that goes to polls on March 27.

The BJP’s decision on giving him a ticket, despite his public statement that he is not interested in contesting the assembly polls, has led to speculations on what his role would be post the election if the party returns of power. With the BJP high command not projecting a CM face for the polls, rumours are abound that Sarma could be given that role.

“The speculation on the next CM is only in the media. As a party, we are focused on winning the election. The decision on 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 Dass said recently.

Some also suggest that either Sarma would get accommodated in the Narendra Modi cabinet while Sonowal gets another term as CM, or Sonowal, who was in the first Modi cabinet before getting shifted to Assam for the 2016 polls, could head back to Delhi and Sarma occupy the top slot.

“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 polls, if required,” said Akhil Ranjan Dutta, political columnist and professor of political science at Gauhati University.

Sarma has been the brain behind most of the social welfare schemes on the Sonowal government such as ₹830 per month to 2.2 million households and cash incentives and grants to various sections of society. But his role as health minister in the past year, when he supervised setting up of large Covid care centres, boosting infrastructure at hospitals and personally visiting quarantine centres to keep tab on care being provided to those infected, earned him headlines as well as admiration even from his critics.

For this election, Sarma is specifically targeting the Congress and its alliance partner All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the two main opposition parties in Assam which have formed a grand alliance along with former BJP ally Bodoland Peoples Front, three Left parties and a newly formed regional outfit.

“If Congress had contested alone, the election would have been fought on the issue of development. But by aligning with communal AIUDF, they have polarised the election and made it a conflict of civilization. The alliance will have a positive impact on BJP’s prospects,” Sarma said recently.

Terming AIUDF as an important factor in this election, Sarma has accused its chief, perfume baron and Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal, as being the enemy of Assam and Assamese culture. He has openly stated that BJP doesn’t need votes of “Miyas” (Bengali speaking Muslims from erstwhile East Pakistan).

Sarma’s meteoric rise in the BJP hasn’t gone down well with many old-timers in the party who still view him with suspicion. Some Congress leaders believe he would leave the party if his ambitions don’t find fulfillment in BJP.

“I am straightforward person and can say that whether we remain in power or not, I will be with Congress. But can Sarma publicly say that he will remain in BJP forever? He spent so many years in Congress and was a minister for several terms. Now he says it was a mistake to be with Congress. If he has found his home in BJP, he should say that he will never leave the party,” Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi had said about Sarma recently.

Seemingly unperturbed by questions on his role after the election and comments from former colleagues, Sarma is busy doing what he does best. Shuttling across the state trying to quell rebellion within the ranks, accompanying party candidates and those from alliance partners while filing nominations, addressing poll rallies and strategising with BJP leaders on what needs to be done for another stint at power, Sarma remains a key figure in Assam’s politics.