GUWAHATI: With the assembly election just five months away, Congress is racing against time and fighting internal squabbles to find a new face in Assam after stalwart and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s death on Monday as Himanta Biswa Sarma takes the winds out of the Grand Old Party’s sails.
Gogoi’s once blue-eyed boy, Sarma, who knew the later leader more than anyone else in the Congress, has deftly categorized Gogoi’s political character in last 20 years tenure into two parts — from a protector of Assamese identity to one supporting Badruddin Ajmal in the latter part till his death.
“I would analyse the late Tarun Gogoi’s political tenure as the chief minister of the state in two different shades. Till 2012, his contribution for protecting the Assamese identity is unparalleled and of the highest order that I and every Assamese would be proud of. But after that till 2020, his ideologies changed and he himself has admitted his desire to get closer to Badruddin Ajmal, which we cannot agree with him,” Sarma said.
Sarma also put Gogoi on the highest pedestal for not bowing down to pressure from then UPA government to file a review petition after the Supreme Court struck down the controversial IM(DT) Act, based on a PIL filed by present chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
“The former CM’s stand not to file a review petition after the repeal of the IM (DT) Act by the Supreme Court in 2005 was also an important decision that he took in favour of the interests of the Assamese people. There was immense pressure on him from within the Congress party to file a review petition. He had to face a lot of criticism for this stand but he stood his ground,” Sarma said.
Sarma’s well-crafted remarks on his mentor has put Congress in a tight spot. “Himanta is working as per his plans and even in death of a person, he has not stopped playing politics. By dividing the late Gogoi’s tenure as CM into two parts, all that Sarma is trying to say is that the present Congress is pro-illegal migrants from Bangladesh, which is absolutely wrong. Who is Sarma to script Gogoi’s ideologies?” a top Congress leader said.
“But it is true that we still have not the found face of the party and unless AICC works fast, we might see difficult days in the elections. The AICC should spell out its decision immediately,” the leader said.
While Gogoi’s son and Lok Sabha MP Garuav Gogoi has become a strong factor for the party’s turnaround when it tries to regain its past glory in the coming elections, many in the party feel that the AICC should take a call.
“The party leadership is due for a changeover but many feel a new committee at this hour could create confusion while many believe that a fresh leadership could infuse more vigor and a young leaders like Gaurav and Debabrata Saikia (Asam leader of opposition) can be the best decision any day,” another top party leader confided.