BJP rejects report that ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi is party CM pick

On Saturday, Tarun Gogoi, 85, who was the chief minister from 2001 to 2016, had told journalists in Guwahati that the former CJI, who took his oath as a nominated Rajya Sabha MP in March this year, could be the BJP’s CM face in 2021.

Updated on: Aug 24, 2020, 01:54:13 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The Assam unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rubbished former chief minister and veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi’s claim that former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi could be the BJP’s CM candidate for next year’s assembly polls in the northeastern state.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, attends a book release function in Gauhati, Assam, India, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) (AP)

“People utter a lot of meaningless stuff when they grow very old, we would put Gogoi’s statement in that category. I have met many former chief ministers, but no one makes such baseless assertions like Gogoi. There is no iota of truth in what he said,” Assam BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass said.

On Saturday, Tarun Gogoi, 85, who was the chief minister from 2001 to 2016, had told journalists in Guwahati that the former CJI, who took his oath as a nominated Rajya Sabha MP in March this year, could be the BJP’s CM face in 2021.

“I have heard from my sources that Ranjan Gogoi’s name is in the list of BJP’s probable chief minister candidates. I suspect he might be projected as the CM by the party in the next assembly polls,” Tarun Gogoi said.

“BJP is happy with Ranjan Gogoi for the Ayodhya Ram mandir verdict and therefore he was nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP after his retirement. Gogoi could have refused to be a Rajya Sabha MP, but his acceptance shows he is interested in active politics,” he added.

Tarun Gogoi, who represents the Titabar seat in the Assam assembly, said that he would contest next year’s elections, but will not be the Congress’s prospective CM candidate. On Saturday, Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) agreed to form an alliance against the ruling BJP in the 2021 polls.

“There’s nothing to comment on Tarun Gogoi’s utterances. It seems he knows more about our party than those who are in the BJP,” said Assam BJP’s chief spokesperson Rupam Goswami.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.