Ending weeks of speculation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP,) on the 21st of March, announced the first cut of its list for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. As a part of the announcement, Party President Amit Shah also announced, Assam member, Himanta Biswa Sarma, will not be a Lok Sabha candidate this year for the Tezpur constituency.
Although the State recommended Sarma’s name for the ticket, the Party thinks he can be more helpful as the Chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA.) “I hope the Assam BJP and the workers of the entire North East will accept this decision. I fully believe it will take Assam and the North East towards the path of development,” the BJP President said in a statement regarding the development.
While this move is considered a snub against the man who is in charge of Assam, the tweets from Amit Shah cleared up the confusion. However, this move is also thought to have been made after Sarma dropped several hints regarding his desire to quit the BJP and politics in 2021.
“The Assam election committee and the party workers had sent Sarma’s name unanimously for the Lok Sabha polls. The central BJP has wished that he should strengthen the party in Assam and North East while remaining as a minister in Assam, and convenor of the NEDA,” Shah said, when asked about Sarma’s absence from the list.
Despite Biswa being the only person in consideration for the Tezpur constituency, the NEDA said, it required Biswa’s presence more. At the moment, however, things seem a little dicey for the BJP member. With Tezpur MP Ram Prasad Sarmah resigning from primary membership and Sarma’s name not being included, the position is still open. According to reports, the ruling party did not accept Sarma’s resignation yet.
Moreover, the BJP announced 184 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, as a part of its first list of candidates. The BJP, on the 21st of March, announced 8 candidates in Assam.
The 7 phase Lok Sabha elections will be held from the 11th of April to the 19th of May.
The major parties contesting the Lok Sabha elections are the Indian National Congress (INC) and the BJP.
The results are going to be announced on the 23rd of May, so stay tuned to the page for details about the same.
