‘List is Exhaustive’: After Recent Win, CM Himanta Sarma Hints on Next Round of Bypolls in Assam
After a clean sweep in the recent bypolls to five constituencies in Assam, the ruling BJP is preparing for next bypoll in February 2022. Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma reacted to the upcoming bypolls and said that elections to Majuli seat and municipal elections is due next year.
“If you ask me then there could be bye-poll in fifteen constituencies, but then work of the state shall be delayed by one month. I shall need to campaign there and holding bye-poll only will not serve the purpose,” the Assam Chief Minister told reporters in Guwahati on Monday.
“The bye-poll in Majuli is due and in February there shall be Municipal elections. In between if there is need there can be one to two elections. If you come to my house in evening, you can realize the list is exhaustive,” the chief minister added.
Jayanta Malla Baruah, the political secretary to the Chief Minister also hinted about the upcoming bypoll. “The list is too long, who wants to join BJP. But there are some restrictions in the BJP. If someone wants to come in BJP, they should not have any pre conditions regarding ticket for bye-poll. Our party will decide, who will join,” Jayanta Malla Baruah said in party’s state headquarters.
After chief minister’s comment on about the next round of bye-polls in Assam, Congress strongly condemned the comment. Kamalakhya Dey Purukasthya, working president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) said, “It’s very sad to hear that the chief minister is once again saying about bye-polls in the state. It’s time to control the price-hike, it’s time to solve the unemployment problem and it’s the time to do the development works for the people.”
“He (Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma) become the chief minister after a long time trying. It’s the time for him to do the developmental works for the people of the state. But, he is trying to hijack our MLAs and he is continuously trying to held bypolls once more. It’s very sad news for the state and for the democracy,” Purukasthya added.
Speaking about the congress MLAs, who wants to leave the party to join BJP, Purukasthya said, “I think no one from our party is going to join BJP. If some power-crazy wants to join, how can we stop?”
In the recent bypolls on October 30, the ruling alliance BJP and UPPL won all five constituencies with huge margin of votes. With the victory of Phanidhar Talukdar, Sushanta Borgohain and Rupjyoti Kurmi, the BJP’s tally in the 126-member assembly has gone up to 63. The party is now just one short of touching the simple majority mark on its own.
In the May assembly elections, the BJP had won 60 seats and was in need of the allies AGP and the UPPL to form the coalition government. After Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma was made chief minister, he oversaw the defection of three MLAs-Sushanta Borgohain, the sitting MLA from Thowra; Rupjyoti Kurmi, the sitting MLA from Mariani came from the Congress and Phanidhar Talukdar, AIUDF MLA from Bhabanipur constituency to BJP. After resigning from the assembly and their respective parties, they joined the BJP to contest the October 30 by-elections, paving the way for Sarma’s government to inch closer to the majority mark.
After the bye-poll results, the strength of the main opposition Congress in the Assam assembly has been reduced to 27 and AIUDF has been reduced to 15.
Yesterday, the state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said, “The BJP appeared to be obsessed with luring the Congress MLAs instead of finding ways to stabilize prices of essentials, generate employment and deliver on developmental projects. Assam is beset with problems of price rise, unemployment and lack of development. The BJP government should focus its energy on the burning issues instead of meddling in our internal affairs.”
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
( News Source :Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Rashtra News staff and is published from a www.news18.com feed.)
Related searches :