Hit by infighting, State BJP yet to be in fighting trim

'However, the tiol leaders of the party want Himanta Biswa Sarma in the BJP fold as that, they feel, will certainly raise the number of BJP legislators in the State' -- State BJP insiders

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 19: Plagued by infighting, the BJP in Assam is yet to be in fighting trim to make it to Dispur in 2016. This is what insiders in the party feel.

When tiol leaders of the party flock around in Assam, two major factions of the State unit of the party - one surrounding State president Siddhartha Bhattacharyya and the other surrounding Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs (independent charge) Sarbanda Sonowal - behave as though they are one and there are no differences between them, party insiders say, and add: "Once the tiol leaders of the party are away, the two lobbies are in their arrogant best."

"Leaders from other parties and organizations have joined the party in large numbers, and such new comers are in troubled waters as they have been made to take the side of any of the two lobbies," insiders in the party said, and added: "Though Sonowal has less supporters with him when compared to those of the president, the loyalists of the Union minister keep on levelling allegations against the State president before the central leadership of the party. At a time when the party leaders are supposed to go to the voters, they are busy in infighting. This doesn't augur well for the party that has already set its mission 84 for 2016."

The current scene of the party in the State has worried senior leaders of the party. "We don't know as to why the RSS isn't stepping into the matters at his junction when an unruly is glaring in the party," a section of senior leaders of the party feels.

They say: "How come the question of change in the leadership is discussed when the organizatiol poll in the party is nowhere in sight? If the party holds the organizatiol poll, there may be change in leadership, but as of now there's no hint of holding the organizatiol poll from the party high command. An organizatiol poll now will only push the party towards an uncertainty. If the president is changed now, the new party chief will take not less than two months to pick up his/her team. He/she may remove some or all of those who have been working in sync with the present party president. Such a move will only create a sense of unhappiness among a section of party leaders and workers. In such a situation, how can the new party chief, if elected afresh, will tackle the situation when the Assembly poll is knocking at the door?"

There are allegations within the party that the news of Himanta Biswa Sarma joining the BJP has made the loyalists of Sonowal more aggressive as that may send them nowhere. "However, the tiol leaders of the party want Himanta Biswa Sarma in the BJP fold as that, they feel, will certainly raise the number of BJP legislators in the State," sources in the party said, and added: "No party can afford to waste time in setting own house in order when it is time to go to the voters."