Like Sharad Pawar "cultivated" a large army of spin masters and veteran writers in Mumbai and Maharashtra journalism to continuously dub him as a potential Prime Minister material and Maratha strongman; mercurial Himanta Biswa Sarma has his "loyalists" who would already describe him as a visionary leader and what not.
A military officer who was posted in north east around 2027-28; once said - "I got an impression that Himanta is a solid Prime Minister material after Narendra Modi".
Entire plot looks laughable, but Himanta's fan club has been huge nevertheless.
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| Himanta and one-time mentor Congress veteran Late Tarun Gogoi |
One refrain pushed in 2021 - to deprive chief ministership to Sarbananda Sonowal was Himanta was already a "super CM" from the days of Tarun Gogoi and largely threw around the same weight even under Sonowal between 2015 and 2021 as the Finance Minister.
Of course Himanta is a go-getter. His efficacy with Durbar culture of Congress came handy and he cultivated 'high command ... the Kendriya Netritya' culture even in the BJP.
But at the end of the day, who matters is the voter and his or her 'perception' about certain critical issues including corruption.
PM Narendra Modi's oft-repeated slogan 'Na Khauanga Na Khane Doonga' hardly applies beyond Brahmaputra in states such as Nagaland and Assam.
In Nagaland, the faceless and helpless voters have discovered their own methods. They also take money during elections.
In Assam - fortunately- the greatly successful "NDPP model" of elections do not work.
Hence, whether you are rich of whether your wife is richer does not make any impact.
"Vote moi dim no hoe (It's only me who will decide who I wll vote for)" -- is the firm commitment of voters in Assam. Thus, the challenge.
The Bodo local polls in BTC is a proof that anti-BJP and anti-double engine narratives have overwhelming acceptance.
In 2015 -- this was reported in a section of media.
"In poll-bound Assam, the woes of the state’s ruling but now-depleted Congress have increased manifold after the names of party biggies, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, got entangled in the Louis Berger International Inc bribery scam.
Recently, the US Justice Department revealed that New Jersey-based consulting firm Louis Berger International Inc had paid Rs 6.1 crore as bribe to win contracts for two water projects in Guwahati and Goa.
The matter came to light on July 17 when the Louis Berger International Inc admitted to violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and agreed to pay $17.1 million criminal fine to resolve charges that it bribed officials in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kuwait to secure government contracts".
(New Indian Express, Aug 23, 2015)
People of Assam will draw their own calculation.
The Dibrugarh-Tinsukia-Digboi belt is largely rich in oil, tea and coal and yet there are no jobs in this region.
The entire argument of Double Engine fails.
Moreover, in 2024 - Himanta Sarma got another shock when Gaurav Gogoi (of Congress) could win the tough Jorhat parliamentary seat. This changed the game on ground. The Congress appeared on revival journey and Gaurav's Ahom-pride politics as a son of the soil found acceptability among the local population.
The message spread into other parts of Assam.
Moreover, Himanta has antagnised Muslims so much that today they are determined to defeat BJP and thus will even desert AIUDF and vote for the Congress.
As it is Sarma is a Brahmin from lower or western Assam. In Upper Assam, the BJP did well in two consecutive elections in 2016 and 2021 because of Sonowal factor.
With that 'edge factor' missing; the Lotus party is at a receiving end for the 2026 battle and defensive in around 25 seats from the word go.
A pro-Himanta school of thought worked against Sonowal in 2021 and had pushed the line that Assam is/was in desperate need of a committed government headed by a decisive Chief Minister.
While Himanta is a decisive man; how much well his government could resolve the burning issues remain a big question.
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| Blogger in Upper Assam |
Governance issue has been his demerit and hence by January 2025 - Himanta pushed the second capital doctrine for Dibrugarh in upper Assam.
He worked out a major dance show in the winter and tried to appeal to Hindu voters by pushing some issues which people did not approve of.
The anti-healing Bill was seen as a typical anti-Christian move and it got carried over to neighbouring Nagaland as well.
Now NDPP stalwart Rio - who got political backing from Himanta often undeservedly - says anti-healing Bill is one reason for him to 'merge' his party with the NPF. This is also a broad anti-BJP narrative.
One may point out that Himanta as Assam CM and NEDA convener "over did" his role and in 2022 conspired with the NDPP virtually to deprive BJP its natural and organic growth in Nagaland.
Rio was given on platter 40:20 seat adjustment formula in 2023 polls when the Lotus party showed potential doing much better. In fact, in 2018 - Rio's own strike rate was much poorer than BJP's.
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| People near Majuli island |
PM Modi also realised that Himanta was no use for handling crisis in Manipur.
Partly, N Biren Singh had told him not to interfere in the affairs of Manipur in clashes between Meiteis and Kukis. And partly, it was clear the community leaders in Manipur were not be influenced by "an Assamese" on what they should do or should not do vis-a-vis the Kuki-Meitei ethnic clash.
But it is equally true.
Sonowal has his limitation. He is shy and indecisive.
There were charges that as the chief minister he got "surrounded" himself with people some of whom faced serious allegations of corruption.
There was alleged involvement of illegal trade syndicates from the media.
No Chief Minister in Assam in the past avoided journalists to such an extent as Sonowal did between 2016 and 2021.
Moreover, as a former student leader (of AASU), Sonowal knew how the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be taken in Assam.
He could not 'convince' the central leadership to exempt Assam or work out a balance. The anti-CAA protest was hugely successful in 2019 and 2020 in Assam.
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But it goes to Sonowal's credit that he brought a new energy in the BJP for his salutary role in opposing the pro-illegal migrants the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983.
As a chief minister, Sonowal was known for his ‘zero-tolerance’ against corruption.
Himanta Sarma in 2021 had hailed Sonowal for Zero Tolerance image against corruption as the stint was “unblemished without a single charge of corruption or any other allegation”.
Sonowal was the president of the influential All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) in the 1990s, before joining the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
He quit AGP in 2011 and joined BJP in 2011. He became BJP National Executive member and later became the state president of the party.
He was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from the Lakhimpur constituency.
In May 2016, he won the Majuli assembly seat and was sworn in as the 14th chief minister. In 2021, he was re-elected from this seat.
ends
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