Himanta Sarma said he has kept two constituencies ready for state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah will join the saffron party by early next year.
However, Mr Borah on Tuesday dismissed the CM's claim and stated that Mr Sarma was playing 'mind games' to divert attention from real issues.
Mr Sarma termed the grand old party as a 'fixed deposit' of the BJP, from which it draws members whenever needed.
"I can say that by January-February 2025, Bhupen Borah will join the BJP. I have kept two constituencies ready for him, though won't name those now," Mr Sarma said, talking to reporters at the residence of the party's Sonitpur constituency candidate Ranjit Dutta on Monday evening.
Terming the opposition Congress a 'fixed deposit' of the BJP, Mr Sarma claimed that 'whenever needed, we bring them in'.
"Except for a few 'blue-blooded' few ones, the rest are all ours," the BJP leader added.
Mr Sarma maintained that voting for Congress means voting for Rahul Gandhi, and for BJP means, voting for Modi.
"Those who love Modi and want Bharat to be a 'vishwa guru' will vote for BJP. Rahul Gandhi's own future is dark, the future of his followers is even darker," the CM claimed.
He also claimed that the Congress candidate in Sonitpur will also join the saffron party if he makes a phone call to him.
"The one who is contesting here will join us instantly if I call, but I will call after election. We don't want them to withdraw nomination as we have to show Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji the support of the people.
"Hanuman showed his love by tearing apart his chest. In Kalyug, we have to show the love through votes," Mr Sarma said.
Addressing a press conference at Jorhat on Tuesday, Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah dismissed the CM's claim and said that Mr Sarma was playing 'mind games' to divert attention from real issue.
"I want to ask, why should I join the BJP? If I join, will the six communities demanding Scheduled Tribe status for years get it? Will new jobs be created? Will landless indigenous families get land rights?" Mr Borah asked.
"The CM is playing mind games. Whenever we talk about burning issues, he tries to divert attention as he has no solutions. But the Congress will not fall into the trap of such mind games", the state Congress chief added.
Congress has fielded Premlal Ganju, a state party general secretary, against sitting MLA Dutta, who is also a former state minister and ex-BJP state president. The constituency goes to the polls in the first phase on April 19.
The BJP is contesting in 11 seats out of total 14 in the state, leaving two for AGP and one for United People's Party Liberal (UPPL).
The saffron party has nine MPs from the state in the outgoing Lok Sabha, with its alliance partners having no representation.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)