Guwahati, March 6: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emerged as the tallest leader of the BJP and played a vital role in BJP’s win in the recently concluded assembly polls in 3 northeast states.
Sarma has been heading the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), for more than six years.
The kind of influence that Sarma has in northeast politics can be understood with remarks of BJP leader and former Meghalaya minister Sanbor Shullai.
NPP and BJP fought the elections separately, and NPP managed to win the maximum seats in the elections. The Assam Chief Minister kept a channel open with Conrad Sangma so that BJP could be back in power if NPP fell short of a majority.
The BJP could not do well in Meghalaya and finally managed to win only two seats after fighting for 47. But it was Sarma’s magic that allowed the BJP to enjoy power in Meghalaya with the NPP.
Political pundits often say that it was Sarma’s brain behind the change of Chief Minister in Tripura, and that decision paid well for the BJP.
According to sources, NDA will form the government in all the three northeast states.
Mizoram is the only northeastern state where BJP is not in power. Now Himanta Biswa Sarma is eyeing the state, which will go to polls later this year.
Sarma will use all his strategies and power to bring BJP into power in Mizoram.
