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HTLS| Himanta on 'good ties between PM, Mamata'; and a 'Tharoor dig' at Congress
HT Leadership Summit 2022: Himanta Biswa Sarma also took a jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma - known for his sharp comments on rivals - on Saturday yet again mounted an attack on the Congress, his former party. Speaking about the recently concluded presidential polls - at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022 - in the grand old party, won eventually by Mallikarjun Kharge, he said: “If Shashi Tharoor would have won, I would have said, yes, democracy has arrived in Congress. There are many good people in the party. Those who voted for Tharoor may join the BJP soon.” Shashi Tharoor was the only contender in the Congress presidential polls after the party was embroiled in several controversies.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Sarma said that the Prime Minister "is an inspiration", he took another jibe at the grand old party. "In Congress, it's not inspiration, it is a compulsion to think about the family," the BJP leader stressed in a reference to the Gandhis.
In his comments, ties between Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister also found a mention. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a prime Minister for every chief minister. There must be very good relationship between chief ministers and prime minister. I won't read anything political into it," he said on instance of the Bengal Chief Minister praising PM Modi.
The Assam Chief Minister also spoke about the expansion the BJP aims till the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024. "By 2024, the BJP would have formed government in two-three more states. And by 2029, the BJP will be all over the country," Sarma underlined.
He also stressed that the BJP wants opposition to sustain, and "does not want to be a dictator".
