Former BJP MLA Ashok Sarma accuses Himanta Biswa Sarma of poor leadership

Former BJP MLA from Nalbari Ashok Sarma accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of being an ineffective leader. Ashok Sarma's remarks came during an interview with India Today NE, where he also announced his reasons for resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

 

"According to me, Himanta Biswa Sarma is not a good leader. I have said this in front of everyone many times that he still isn't able to become the people's leader," Ashok Sarma stated. He argued that the Chief Minister's implementation of schemes does not equate to good leadership, suggesting that there are ulterior motives behind these initiatives.

 

Ashok Sarma criticized the Chief Minister for contributing to societal division for electoral gain. "In today’s date, in the whole nation, a few politicians from parties divide Hindus and Muslims to take votes, and from then, the problem arises in society. In Assam, during the distribution of votes in elections, every person from Assam knows that Himanta is packed with Ajmal, and then he scolds Ajmal for Hindutva to divert the votes to BJP," Sarma said.

 

Furthermore, Sarma accused Himanta Biswa Sarma of being insincere about his Hindutva stance. "Himanta is a fraud when it comes to Hindutva. He just appeases the leaders of Hindutva, so he is considered one. If he was truly a Hindutva leader, with all the resources he has, he could have done something meaningful," he added.

 

Ashok Sarma, a long-time member of the BJP, represented Nalbari in the Assam Legislative Assembly after the BJP's first victory in the state in 2016. Despite his long association with the party, he was not given a ticket in the 2021 elections, a decision that further fueled his dissatisfaction. Instead, Jayanta Malla Baruah, a former Congress member, was chosen to represent the party.

 

Sarma's departure from the BJP comes amidst his claims of long-standing grievances regarding the treatment of veteran party members. "I had been raising grievances faced by some party workers for a long time. But no action was taken on that. Therefore, I was left with no option but to quit the party to keep my honour intact," Sarma explained.

 

Ashok Sarma plans to join Congress on August 9.