Sarbanda is BJP's CM candidate

Agriculture research institute and AIIMS in the offing for Assam, says Sushma kick-starting party’s campaign in Silchar

Special correspondent

Silchar, Dec 27: It's official. Sarbanda Sonowal is BJP's chief ministerial candidate.

Exterl Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj announced this while kicking off the party's campaign in Silchar, addressing party workers who congregated from Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi and Dima Hasao at the Gandhi Mela ground here.

"Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbanda Sonowal will be the Chief Minister if the BJP if voted to power," she said, confirming speculations that the party is keen on bringing back the former student leader to State politics.

Impressed by the presence of large number of party workers from the four districts, Swaraj said, "It shows the BJP is set to win the ensuing assembly elections."

An estimated 40,000 workers attended the meet.

Swaraj said she had a special connection with Barak Valley even as she recalled her past visits while on her way to Mizoram where her husband Kaushal Swaraj was the Governor.

 Describing Barak Valley as a stronghold of the BJP, she said, "The BJP could form the government in Harya, Jammu and Kashmir as well as Maharashtra. Assam will have to be linked with this chain of success."

The BJP leader said her party is drawing up a blueprint for development of Assam.

"Though Dr Manmohan Singh, the then Prime Minister, represented Assam in Rajya Sabha for 23 long years, he never gave importance to the State's development. In contrast, when rendra Modi became the Prime Minister, he declared that the broad gauge would be completed in a year's time. He kept his word and trains have started moving on the Silchar-Lumding route," Swaraj said.

Long distance trains from Barak Valley to Kolkata is on the priority list of NF Railway while emphasis is also being laid upon the East-West Corridor initiated during the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she said, accusing the State government of stymieing efforts of the Central government to improve state highways. "We, on our part, are trying to solve the issues though the State government is not cooperating," she said.

Also in the pipeline is an agriculture research institute and an AIIMS in Assam, Swaraj said.

Referring to the notification issued by the Union Home ministry on September 7, 2015, regularizing stay of minority migrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan, she asked the Congress MPs to cooperate and allow passing of such important bills.

Sushma Swaraj was accompanied by BJP leaders Ram Madhav, Sarbanda Sonowal, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Bijoya Chakraborty, Mahendra Singh, Kabindra Purkayastha, Dilip Paul, Dr. Rajdeep Roy and others.