It’s official! Sarbananda Sonowal is BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in Assam. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announced this while kicking off the party’s campaign in Silchar, addressing party workers who congregated from Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi and Dima Hasao at the Gandhi Mela ground.
“Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbananda Sonowal will be the Chief Minister if the BJP if voted to power,” she said, confirming speculations that the party is keen on bringing back the former student leader to Assam politics.
Impressed by the presence of large number of party workers from the four districts, Swaraj said, “It shows the BJP is set to win the ensuing assembly elections.”
An estimated 40,000 workers attended the meet.
Swaraj said she had a special connection with Barak Valley even as she recalled her past visits while on her way to Mizoram where her husband Kaushal Swaraj was the Governor.
Describing Barak Valley as a stronghold of the BJP, she said, “The BJP could form the government in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir as well as Maharashtra. Assam will have to be linked with this chain of success.”
Sushma Swaraj was accompanied by BJP leaders Ram Madhav, Sarbananda Sonowal, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Bijoya Chakraborty, Mahendra Singh, Kabindra Purkayastha, Dilip Paul, Dr Rajdeep Roy and others.