New Delhi: BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma is likely to become the next Chief Minister of Assam, sources told Odisha Bytes late on Saturday evening.
Sarma’s name is expected to be announced by the BJP national leadership on Sunday morning after meeting present CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Sarma and party MLAs in Guwahati. Union agriculture minister Narendra Tomar, party national vice-president Baijayant Panda and party national general secretary Arun Singh will be involved in the selection, sources informed.
Jalukbari MLA Sarma functioned as the powerful number two in the Sonowal government and is believed to have played an important part in the BJP’s win in the recent elections, results of which were declared on May 2. In the 126-member Assam assembly, BJP has 60 legislators and its allies AGP (9) and UPPL (6) six.
Earlier this week, BJP president J P Nadda said the decision on who would head the Assam government was delayed because the party bosses were preoccupied with post-poll violence in West Bengal.
Party sources said should Sarma, who has grown very fast within the saffron party since switching over from the Congress in 2014, get the top job then Sonowal, who represents Majuli assembly constituency, might get a central ministry. Sonowal was Union sports and youth minister before he took over as Assam CM in 2016.
Though the BJP had projected Sonowal as its CM candidate in 2016, this time it had not declared anyone as for the coveted position.
