Assam BJP has many aspirants for the chief minister candidature: Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday alleged that several BJP leaders in the state are vying to be the opposition party’s chief minister candidate for the 2016 assembly elections and this would benefit Congress.

“There are several aspirants in BJP including Union sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal, state unit president of BJP Siddhartha Bhattacharjee and newly joined Congress leader in BJP Himanta Biswa Sarma. However, there will be fight among these leaders, which is good for Congress,” Gogoi claimed.

BJP is expected to project a chief minister candidate in the Assam polls, changing its strategy of relying entirely on Prime Minister Narendra Modi even in state elections after its defeats in Bihar and Delhi.

Gogoi, however, alleged that BJP’s chief minister candidate will be remote controlled by top party leaders from New Delhi.

The Congress government in Assam is making attempts woo the migrant Hindi speaking people who have largely supported BJP. The state had declared half day holiday on Tuesday on account of Chhath Puja and Gogoi participated in the celebrations.

Gogoi said that Hindi speaking people contributed immensely in the development of Assam, and announced that his government has completed all the formalities to constitute a development council to redress the grievances of the Hindi speaking people in the state and to expedite their all-round development. “Assam is for all and no discrimination will be tolerated in the state,” the chief minister said.