Das set to head State BJP as head

APCC president Ripun Bora will certainly meet his match in Das: Gossips

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 21: The BJP’s long hunt for a loyal party leader to head the party’s Assam committee as its president has come to an end after a long last. The Saffron party has got such a leader in Assam Assembly Speaker Ranjit Das.

Das has left for Delhi following a call by the party high command. According to sources, the party high command has already approved Das’ me as the president of the State committee of the party. The formal announcement, however, is still to be made.

The latest gossip in politics in the State is: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora will certainly meet his match in Das, a loyal and senior party leader. He is very loyal to the Sangh Parivar as well.      

Interacting with jourlists today, Das said: “I’m ready to take the mantle. That my me has been picked up as the state president of the party by the high command is news to me. I came to know it from the media only. I’m yet to hear any word from the party high command on this development.”

Giving details of his political career, Das said: “I joined the BJP in 1992. I was Barpeta mandal BJP president, and included in the Barpeta district executive committee of the party. I also headed the State Kisan Morcha, the party’s farmers’ wing, as its president. I performed sincerely whatever the party had entrusted me. I’m ready to accept whatever the party entrusts met. If the party wants me to be the Chief Minister or Fince Minister of Assam, I’m ready to accept. I’ll accept without any hitch even if the party makes me a mandal committee president again.”

Das, however, said: “On October 5 and 11 I was asked by the party high command if I’m ready to head the party in Assam. In both the times ‘I’m ready to take whatever the party entrusts me’ is the reply’. According to sources, Das has already left for Delhi later in the day as the party high command has called him.

There were reports emating from the party that current in-charge preside of the party, Santanu Bharali was set to be the State president of the party, based mainly on his closeness with the Chief Minister who had appointed him as in-charge president. According to sources in the party, Bharali’s four-month stint as the State president of the party is not up to the satisfaction of the party high command. This apart, Bharali is yet to complete ten-year membership in the party, which is mandatory to be the State president of the party.

There were also reports of picking anyone from two MPs, Kamakhya Prasad Tasha and RP Sarma. The party high command, according to sources, is reluctant to pick any of them for the hot post as the Lok Sabha election in the State is barely three years away. Fighting the Lok Sabha poll for anyone holding the responsible of post of party president is too tough a task.

According to reports emating from party sources in Barpeta, stage is set in the district to give Das a warm welcome.

Meanwhile, the election committee of the party is going to meet at the Chief Minister’s residence on October 25 on the issue of fielding candidates for the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha, Baithalangsu LAC and Deori and Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council polls.

There are reports that in the event of Das quitting as the Assembly Speaker, East Guwahati MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharjee will be picked as the Speaker. Bhattacharjee has also been in Delhi for the past few days.