BJP's 2nd Stint in Assam, But Who Will be the CM, Sonowal or Himanta Biswa? Central Team Reaching Today

Guwahati: The verdict was clear. It is another term for the BJP-led NDA in Assam. BJP won 60 of the total 126 seats and its allies AGP won 9 and UPPL won 6 seats.

With a total of 73, NDA (National Democratic Alliance made up of BJP and its allies) is once again in a very comfortable position to form the government in Assam for the second time in a row. This is the first time that a non-Congress party has romped back to power in Assam.

In the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly, the halfway mark or the magic number is 64 and NDA is way past this number.

WHO WILL BE ASSAM'S NEXT CM?

Now the billion-dollar question is who will be the next Chief Minister of Assam. The BJP had not projected anyone as its ministerial candidate when it went to the polls this time.

The exit polls said that Assam Finance, Health, Education and PWD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has an edge over the incumbent CM Sarbananda Sonowal.

Sarma is known to be BJP's poll strategist not just in Assam but in the entire Northeast. He is credited for BJP expanding its political footprint across the 7 northeastern states. Even in states like Mizoram, the North East Democratic Alliance (BJP's special alliance with parties from the region) has managed to convince parties like the Mizo National Front with strong ethnic and regional viewpoints to be part of NEDA. Himanta Biswa Sarma is the Convenor of NEDA.

Sarma is known as the mascot of BJP in Assam and the northeast and is one of the best organiser-worker that BJP or any other political party can ever ask for. He is well known and well appreciated for his calculative moves, foresight and strategic planning. He is a politician who leads from the front and does straight talk.

He has been credited and praised not just nationally but globally for Assam's proper management of the COVID pandemic.

The incumbent CM, Sarbananda Sonowal too has done his bit in working for the development of the state and its people. Several welfare schemes have been announced and several steps taken for flood control and prevention of erosion, perineal problems that the people of Assam have been facing.

According to sources, a team of central observers of BJP would be reaching Guwahati today (Monday) May 3 to meet the elected MLAs and discuss the issue of picking the right man for the top job.

HERE IS HOW THE PARTIES FARED

BJP won 60 seats and its allies AGP won 9 and UPPL won 6 seats.

This time BJP contested in 93 of the 126 seats, AGP contested in 29 and UPPL in 8 seats.

In the 2016 elections, BJP had won the same number of seats - 60. AGP had won 14. UPPL is a party from the Bodo heartland that was formed in 2015 but started taking part in active politics from the 2020 Bodoland Territorial Elections BTC). BJP made UPPL its partners during the BTC polls of 2020 and they won the Council elections. In 2016, BJP's allies in Assam were AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) and BPF (Bodoland People's Front).

As for Congress and its 'Mahajot' or the grand alliance, it was another poor show this election. Congress managed to win 30 seats (4 more than 2016). It contested in 95 seats. Its allies AIUDF contested in 20 seats and won 16. Another of its Mahajot allies, CPI-M won 1 seat and BPF won only 4 of the 12 seats contested.

Against NDA's 73, the Congress-led Mahajot managed a total of 51 with the target to form a government in Assam being 64.

In 2016, Congress had won 26, AIUDF 13 and BPF had won 12 seats.

What was a big blow for the 'grand old party' is also the fact that its state president Ripun Bora lost the election from the Gohpur constituency. Ripun Bora polled 63, 744 votes while his opponent and Gohpur's sitting MLA Utpal Borah (BJP) won by 92, 894 votes.

Taking responsibility for the poor show by Congress, Bora resigned from the post of party president. In his letter to National Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Bora blamed BJP and RSS for playing 'divisive and communal politics'.

Another big takeaway of this time's verdict has been the trouncing of BPF in the Bodo heartland. The party had won 12 seats in both the 2011 and 2016 elections but managed to get just 4 seats in the 2021 elections. The party had contested in 12 seats.

It must have been an embarrassing election result for BPF. All the 3 BPF ministers - Pramila Rani Brahma, Minister for Social Welfare and a 6-time MLA from Kokrajhar East, Chandan Brahma, Minister for Tourism, Welfare of Plain Tribes & Backward Classes and 3-time MLA from Sidli (2006, 2011 & 2016) and Rihon Daimary, Minister for Public Health Engineering and Co-operation and 4-time MLA from Udalguri (2001, 2006, 2011 & 2016), all lost.

It appears that BJP's main poll strategist Himanta Biswa Sarma's decision to dump BPF and align with UPPL was definitely a smart, timely and very intelligent move. No wonder many prefer to refer to Himanta Biswa Sarma as the modern-day Chanakya.

UPPL on the other hand, contested in 8 seats and won 6.

Other regional parties like Asom Jatiya Parishad formed in mid-2020 failed to open its account. Its co-founder and president and former AASU general secretary, Luringjyoti Gogoi lost from both Duliajan and Naharkatia.

Another regional party Raijor Dal, launched by RTI activist and jailed peasant leader, Akhil Gogoi managed to win just one seat. Gogoi won the Sibsagar seat.

SOME OF THE BIG WINS

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal retained his Majuli seat for a second term. He won the seat with over 38,000 votes defeating Rajib Lochan Pegu of Congress.

BJP's mascot in Assam and Northeast and the person behind the massive campaign and hard work resulting in another win for the party, Himanta Biswa Sarma won the Jalukbari seat for the 6th time with over one lakh votes.

Agriculture minister and AGP president Atul Bora won the Bokakhat seat for the third time. Transport, Commerce and Industries Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary won the Dharmapur seat for the 6th time. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury won the Bongaigaon seat for the 8th time.

Also Read: BJP Led NDA Bags Assam, the Big Question Now is Who Will be the CM?

Also Watch: Assam Election Result, 2021: Candidates thank people after winning