SPIRITUAL RECOURSE

When Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted his respects for the 15th century Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev on August 29, he became the first non-Assam CM to do so. More than any spiritual turn, the AAP supremo has been trying to build a base for the party in the state where he perceives an Opposition vacuum. The BJP may be in power, but most of its current stalwarts in the state are ex-Congressmen. Given its 40 per cent Muslim population, the BJP needs the Opposition vote to be split to survive in Assam. Hence Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia’s frequent barbs at Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Kejriwal took to Twitter to berate Sarma over the state of education in Assam, while Sisodia, who had accused Sarma of corruption, has to appear in a Guwahati court after Sarma filed a defamation case.