Himanta Biswa the man of the moment; sea of supporters throng nomination roadshow

GUWAHATI: Unprecedented scenes unfolded in Guwahati city today as scores upon scores of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters descended on the streets as the party's 'hero' Himanta Biswa Sarma headed to file his nomination papers for the ensuing polls in Assam.

 

Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accompanied by a proverbial sea of supporters, today filed nomination papers for the Jalukbari Constituency at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Guwahati today.

 

Biswa Sarma, nicknamed the 'Chanakya of the Northeast' due to his troubleshooting capabilities, is also being accompanied by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Sarbananda Sonowal. Other Northeast CMs -- Tripura's Biplab Deb, Meghalaya's Conrad K Sangma, and Arunachal Pradesh's Pema Khandu -- are also expected to arrive.

 

Sarma, the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), enjoys immense popularity among the alliance leaders and Chief Ministers' coming to Assam to attend a ceremony for the nomination filing for an MLA election speaks volumes about his clout in the seven sister states.

 

Sarma's election campaign up until the moment of his filing the nomination has been 'historic' in several ways, with new-age media being used to reach out to the masses.

 

The leader, using social media, has created a frenzy among supporters with viral memes depicting snippets from the long and arduous campaign, surfacing every now and then.

 

Meanwhile, Biswa Sarma's nomination filing has turned into a celebration on the streets -- with a massive programme -- replete with songs and dancing -- held at the Sonoram field in Guwahati.

 

Flexing his muscles ahead of the polls, the BJP 'stongman' showed off his immense popularity, even as the masses thronged the streets in massive numbers for a glimpse of the man now popular as 'Mama' (uncle).

 

A roadshow that saw Himanta being accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma later headed from the Sonaram field to the DC office in Panbazar, where the Minister is doing the needful to confirm his participation in the election.

 

Supporters of the Minister -- who has been elected from Jalukbari thrice -- gathered in large numbers. Several saffron banners and flags, traditional dances by women, and rallies buzzed the town on the day of nomination-filing.

 

Around one lakh people joined the procession as it slowly made its way from the Sonaram field to the DC's office, InsideNE sources have informed.

 

It needs mention here that the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Chittaranjan Basumatary and Congress candidate Ramen Borthakura and many other candidates from newly floated regional political parties will contest against the powerful leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Himanta Biswa Sarma from the Jalukbari constituency in the Assam assembly elections.