Congress ready to help anyone willing to form a non BJP govt in Assam: Debabrata Saikia

GUWAHATI: Delay in the announcement of the next chief minister of Assam by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite getting a clear mandate in polls, has raised several questions regarding the much talked about rift between incumbent chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and North-East Democratic Alliance convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Both the senior BJP leaders are the frontrunners for the top post.

The BJP national leadership has been under tremendous pressure in finalizing the chief minister as Sarma had played a major role in giving the saffron party access enabling it to form a coalition government in most of the northeastern states which used to be under Congress rule for years. Sarma, also known as the Chanakya of politics, created history when he worked out an equation to for a BJP-led coalition government in Manipur and Meghalaya, even though the BJP failed to get a clear mandate.

Also Read: Congress blames AJP, Raijor Dal for NDA’s victory in Assam polls

Rumor is also doing the round that Sarma will neither accept any ministerial berth nor the post of deputy CM if offered.

In such a case, there is every possibility of Sarma switching sides to form the government with the Congress-led ‘Mahajot.’

There is every possibility of the two BJP allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) changing sides, enabling the formation of a non-BJP government.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, while talking in this context, has asserted that the grand old party is ready to support anyone to form a non-BJP government in Assam if at all the need arises.

“I will not take any specific name since there are so many people. Even there is AGP which talks about the well-being of Assam. Hence, I will just say if someone wants to form a non-BJP government in Assam, they will definitely get our support. I would request our high command for the same as well,” said Saikia while talking to InsideNE.

Assam is also going through a Health emergency like other states in India in view of COVID-19. Delay in forming cabinets may cause distress in taking critical decisions by the Bureaucrats because according to the highly placed source of InsideNE, officers are already getting confused while taking decisions because of different directions.

Results of the recently concluded Assam assembly elections were declared on May 2 along with three other states and a union territory.

Also Read: BJP-Led National Democratic Alliance Sweeps All Four Constituencies In Guwahati

While the chief ministers of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have already taken the oath of office, BJP has miserably failed to choose between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Sarbananda to lead the state.

Saikia further added, "Usually the BJP accuses Congress of internal conflicts. But they have shown a lack of leadership within themselves this time even when the state is reeling under the Covid crisis. This is very unfortunate for the people of Assam.”

As a result, the delay in the announcement of the chief minister is leading to mismanagement in handling the Covid situation, for which, the common people of the state are facing the brunt.

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