OUR CORRESPONDENT
MANGALDAI: In what can be termed as a glaring reflection of the growing dissidence among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Sipajhar LAC following the refusal of party nomination to sitting legislator Binanda Kumar Saikia and projection of former Axam Xahitya Xabha president Dr. Paramananda Rajbongshi as the candidate, on Thursday Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and parliamentarian Dilip Saikia had to address a very thinly-attended public meeting at Sipajhar.
Though the Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP's national vice-president Vaijayanta Jay Panda landed at Sipajhar in three separate helicopters, only 2,000 party workers attended the rally. Significantly, at the time of the arrival of the Chief Minister on the dais, the gathering was about 600. The rally was organized at the playground of Sipajhar Academy to greet candidate Dr. Paramananda Rajbongshi before filing his nomination papers.
"The unholy nexus of Congress, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) is a pre-planned conspiracy to damage the tradition and culture of Assam. Transforming Assam into a self-reliant state is the dream of the BJP government and we are committed to transform this dream into reality. Not a single case of corruption or nepotism has ever been reported during the five-year term of the BJP government in the State, which is the indicator of good governance in the State," said Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while taking part in the rally. He appealed to the people of Sipajhar to vote for Dr. Paramananda Rajbongshi. He also termed Dr. Rajbongshi as one of the greatest litterateurs of the State. Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP's national vice-president Vaijayanta Jay Panda and parliamentarian Dilip Kumar Saikia also addressed the rally.
Significantly, BJP's sitting legislator Binanda Kumar Saikia was not invited to the rally. "Though I have been denied party nomination, I am still continuing as a member of BJP as I have not resigned from the party. It is very unfortunate that due to reasons known best to certain circles, I was not invited," said Binanda Kumar Saikia while talking to The Sentinel on Thursday evening.
Later, Dr. Paramananda Rajbongshi accompanied by a limited number of supporters filed his nomination papers as the BJP candidate for Sipajhar LAC before the Returning Officer Subhalakhsmi Deka at the DC's office at Mangaldai.