Sarbananda Sonowal, Sarma meet party brass in Capital

NEW DELHI : Amid suspense over the next chief minister of Assam, chief contenders Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma met Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and party general secretary BL Santhosh in Delhi on Saturday. The meetings, held at Nadda’s residence, were conducted in two rounds.

“A decision is likely after the legislative party meeting on Sunday in Guwahati. The decision will then be ratified by the parliamentary board,” said a person aware of the development.

Union minister NS Tomar and party general secretary Arun Singh were expected to reach Assam later on Saturday night as central observers for the meeting, the person said. “There is speculation that a deputy CM’s position could be carved out to accommodate both leaders in the state,” a functionary said.

In the results declared for the 126-member Assam assembly on May 2, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 60 seats while its alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) won nine and six seats, respectively. The BJP, however, is yet to announce its CM candidate.

Sonowal, who belongs to Assam’s indigenous SonowalKachari tribals, and Sarma, an Assamese Brahmin who is the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance, are contenders for the top post in Assam.

While party leaders in the Capital are tight lipped, a section of MLAs has been supporting Sarma, who also held the portfolio of finance, for the CM’s post.

“There is a section of MLAs who have indicated their preference. But the final decision will be taken by the central command. There is also speculation that either one of them could be in a new role in Delhi,” said a functionary who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Sarma, who joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 general elections, and is now known as the BJP’s troubleshooter in the northeastern region. In an interview to HT last month, when asked whether he is positioning for the CM’s job, Sarma said that the final decision rests with PM Modi and the home minister.

Sonowal has not made any comments about whether he is inclined to retain the job. “He keeps a low profile. He did not canvass for the position when the BJP won for the first time in 2016 and even now he has kept his cards close to his chest,” a second functionary said.