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Five days after election results, Assam yet to get a new CM
The BJP leadership has failed to sort out the leadership tussle between incumbent Sarbananda Sonowal and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam.
Results for the Assam assembly polls declared on May 2 gave a clear verdict to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and allies for another term in power. But five days after the outcome, voters in the state are not sure who will head the next government in Assam.
This comes at a time when other states where elections took place simultaneously have already witnessed new heads of state assuming office. Mamata Banerjee took charge as West Bengal chief minister for a third time on Wednesday and MK Stalin took oath in Tamil Nadu on Friday.
In Assam, the delay is due to the BJP leadership in New Delhi failing to select one among incumbent CM Sarbananda Sonowal and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, both claimants for the top post.
“Government formation will happen in due course. Right now all our focus is on controlling the spread of Covid19 across the state and saving lives,” Sonowal said on Friday while taking stock of facilities to tackle the disease.
The BJP leadership is yet to send central observers to Assam to interact with the party’s state office-bearers and no official meeting of the 60 newly elected members have taken place to choose the new CM.
“The delay was initially due to the violence in West Bengal after declaration of results in which the Trinamool Congress workers targeted our members. The prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country has also affected the decision on formation of the next government,” said BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami.
“There’s already a caretaker government in place in Assam and it is functioning well. There’s no difference within the party on the CM’s post and the same will be announced soon,” he added.
The delay in government formation is happening at a time when the state is witnessing a spike in Covid-19 cases. On Thursday, Assam recorded 4,936 new positive cases, which was the highest ever single day figure for the state since the pandemic started last year. The state recorded 46 deaths on Thursday.
“BJP got a clear and decisive mandate, but still it hasn’t been able to form a government. Especially at a time when the state is going through a difficult time, critical decisions like dates of board examinations and handling of the Covid19 spike shouldn’t be left to an ad-hoc government,” Congress Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi said.
“At present, what was needed was an all-out effort on war footing to check the alarming surge in Covid-19 and community spread of the disease seen in tea-gardens. But the delay exposes the bankruptcy of the BJP’s decision-making process,” he added.
Akhil Ranjan Dutta, professor of political science in Gauhati University said that the BJP’s defeat in West Bengal could have played a part in delay in announcement of Assam’s next CM.
“The outcome in West Bengal in a way eroded the moral authority of the BJP leadership to dictate or impose decisions in Assam. Therefore, they are taking time and indulging in negotiations as they are worried about a possible revolt,” Dutta said.
“The BJP got its fourth successive poll victory in Assam in this election since 2014 general elections. But the delay in the government formation process amounts to complete insult to the faith reposed in the party by the voters,” he added.
People aware of the developments confirmed late on Friday that both Sonowal and Sarma have been called to New Delhi by the party high command to sort out the leadership issue. Both leaders are scheduled to leave by a chartered flight early on Saturday and take part in meetings with senior leaders. It is also believed that the name of the next CM could be announced on Sunday and the oath-taking ceremony may be held on Monday.
