Guwahati: The suspense is over as Himanta Biswa Sarma has been elected as the new Assam chief minister. The decision was taken “unanimously” on Sunday after a BJP legislative party meeting in the eastern state. Earlier today, Sarbananda Sonowal submitted his resignation to Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, 52, a popular face in Assam, was for long speculated to take place of Sonowal this term. Sarma, who jumped ship from Congress just before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, has been waiting ever since for the party to make him the Chief Minister.
Both Sarma and Sonowal were the top contenders for the next Assam Chief Minister. The duo held a series of meetings on Saturday, lasting for more than four hours, with BJP President J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Sarma, who is considered a ‘master strategist’ and the chief architect of BJP’s reign in Assam, made it a tough decision for the BJP to decide between the two prominent leaders.
In the 2016 Assembly polls, the BJP had projected Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate and won, forming the first saffron party government in the northeast. However, this time, the party waited till after the election results to announce the chief minister.
In the results announced for the 126-member Assam assembly last Sunday, the BJP won 60 seats while its alliance partners AGP got nine seats and UPPL six.