Ahead of Assam polls, Himanta visits Deoghar temple

Dumka: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday reached Deoghar to offer prayers at Baba Baidyanath Dham Temple ahead of Assam polls on Thursday. Sarma was received at Deoghar airport by BJP district president Sachin Rawani and party workers.Sarma offered prayers at the temple amid chanting of shlokas by a group of priests. Prior to that, he went to the Satsang ashram and held a nearly 50-minute discussion with Acharya Babai Da. Godda MP Nishikant Dubey also accompanied Sarma. The Assam CM also visited the residence of Dubey for lunch. Sarma said, “My visit is purely to seek blessings at the temple and ashram.”He expressed confidence that the situation in Assam is stable and that BJP is set to form the govt for a third time.Responding to a query about his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren, who just returned from Assam after camping there for over a week, he said, “It is good.” Sarma departed for Guwahati around 3 pm. His visit is being seen as both a spiritual engagement and a subtle political message, especially considering the large number of the ashram followers in Assam who visit Deoghar every year.Hemant had visited Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati on Tuesday, after campaigning concluded.