Credit for vertical split of Congress in Assam comes to me: Siddhartha

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 21: Soon after his new avatar in the BJP as its tiol spokesperson for the Northeast, former Assam BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharyya has claimed that ‘the credit for the vertical split in the Congress in Assam comes to me’.   

This is Bhattacharyya’s first statement after assuming the charge as the party’s tiol spokesperson for the Northeast. The party high command has also entrusted him with the responsibility of taking the charge as the vice chairman of the party’s Assam election magement committee. He was all praise for the party high command for reposing faith on him, and giving him important responsibilities of the party. He was addressing the press here today after assuming the new charge of the party.

When asked by reporters as to what he would like to recall as his achievement in his brief stint as the State president of the party (August 16, 2014 to October 29, 2015), Bhattacharyya said: “The credit for the vertical split in the Congress in Assam should come to me. Without a split in the Congress, it would have been very difficult to defeat the party in Assam. I had to work overtime to bring Himanta Biswa Sarma into the BJP fold. There has been a paradigm shift in the political scerio in Assam after Himanta Biswa Sarma joining the BJP. If the BJP in Assam has gained pace, it’s because of the vertical split in the Congress.”

When asked if the BJP the engineered the rebellion in the Congress in Assam, Bhattacharyya replied with a straight ‘no’. “We’ve just availed the advantage of the rebellion in the Congress in Assam. The Congress has a legacy of  meddling in other party’s interl affairs, and I’ve followed suit and shot their weapon back to them. To weaken the enemy is a war strategy, and I’m successful in this strategy.”

Bhattacharyya also said: “I thank Sarbanda Sonowal for giving up his ministerial portfolio to take the mantle of the party in the State. I know how he works. I was the State vice president of the party when he was the president. I’ve no problem to work with him. I hope under the leadership of Sonowal, the BJP will achieve its target in Assam in 2016. My political career began in the BJP and will, I hope, end in it.”  

Reacting to Akhil Gogoi’s recent outbursts against him, Bhattacharyya said: “Akhil Gogoi is one of the capitalists in Assam. And you know, capitalists are always apprehensive of honest people. Akhil Gogoi is one of the affluent people of the State now. He has already opened his orchid park, costing Rs 5 crore, and many of his commercial projects are underway in the State.” 

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