Himanta Biswa Sarma has said he has no interest in becoming Chief Minister of Assam.
Highlights
- Sarma was top aide of Tarun Gogoi, who is running for 4th term
- Sarma quit Congress to join BJP, says Rahul Gandhi "unintelligent"
- BJP leadership appreciates Assam is very secular: Sarma to NDTV
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the master strategist for the BJP, has said he has no interest in becoming Chief Minister of Assam and is completely supportive of the BJP's candidate, Sarbananda Sonowal.
Mr Sarma was for years a top aide of Tarun Gogoi of the Congress, who is running for a fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister. So what prompted him to switch sides? "Our problem is that Rahul Gandhi is now controlling Sonia Gandhi...he is a completely unintelligent person, has no idea what Bihar is, what Assam is," Mr Sarma told NDTV while campaigning in Assam.
Mr Sarma stressed that his crossing over to the BJP does not conflict with his ideology. "Assam is a very secular society, the BJP leadership appreciates that," he told NDTV.
"I want Sonowal to have a completely free hand in running Assam for the next five years," he said when asked about whether his central role in the BJP's campaign. When asked about his own future, he said "it is upto the party" to decide whether to move to him to Delhi. He said he is undecided about whether he will join the government is his party wins Assam.
Mr Sarma also said his party wants to introduce affirmative action for Muslims in the state.