Guwahati: It was case of sweet revenge for Himanta Biswa Sarma. This 47-year-old leader, once outgoing CM Tarun Gogoi's blue-eyed boy, played a key role in bringing down his former mentor who ruled Assam for 15 long years.
Sarma, BJP's master strategist who was earlier seen as Gogoi's natural successor, fell out with his guru last year when he asked Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to drop the CM as leader of Congress Legislature Party. When his request was turned down by the Congress high command, he promptly crossed over to BJP with nine Congress legislators.
Everyone thought Sarma, like Gogoi, would also have to bear the burden of incumbency. But his planning and leadership quality helped him, as well as BJP, have a smooth sailing in the election. He defeated his Congress challenger with a thumping majority in Jalukbari, a constituency located on the outskirts of Guwahati.
It was Sarma's idea to cobble together an alliance with regional forces like AGP and BPF to avoid a division of anti-Congress voters. Many in his new party were initially unhappy with the move. The tie-up ultimately paid handsome dividend for the alliance that almost decimated Congress.
Bitter with Rahul for not paying attention to his grievances, Sarma, during campaigning, mostly targeted the Gandhi scion in his speeches. "Congress paid heavily for its arrogance. People of Assam rejected Congress and its dynastic politics," a jubilant Sarma said.
BJP, too, reciprocated Sarma's contribution in a generous manner. It made him the convener of its election management committee, overlooking his alleged role in the multi-crore Saradha scam. Confident of BJP's support, he even filed defamation suits against Gogoi for linking him to the Saradha scandal.
During campaigning, he fired up voters by repeatedly referring to the state's most sensitive and emotional issue - illegal influx from Bangladesh. This, many believe, helped BJP galvanise Hindu and tribal votes against Congress. In his speeches, he demanded that 1951 be made the cut-off year to identify illegal migrants instead of 1971 as mentioned in the 1985 Assam Accord.
Many in Congress describe Sarma as one politician who can correctly read the pulse of the people and effectively implement government schemes. Before he quit Congress, he served as a minister under Gogoi for many years and even helped him defeat BJP and AGP in 2011. This time, it was Congress's turn to have a taste of Sarma's medicine.
Start a Conversation
Post comment