Ghulam Nabi Azad Explicates Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Departure from Congress

Guwahati: The Indian National Congress (INC), a political force that had dominated the entire northeast, is now all but extinct there. According to former senior Congress politician Ghulam Nabi Azad, the departure of Himanta Biswa Sarma was a crucial turning point in the decline of the grand old party in the northeast.

The former Congress politician blamed Rahul Gandhi for his handling of the Himanta Biswa Sarma problem in his upcoming book, “Azaad,” and claimed that it ultimately resulted in the demise of the Party in Assam and the entire northeastern region.

Himanta Biswa Sarma is not only the Chief Minister of Assam; he also plays a significant role for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the area. He was formerly a congressman, and he has been given the credit for having revived and maintained the BJP’s supremacy in the northeast.

Himanta Biswa Sarma insured the loss of Congress in Assam after leaving the grand old party in 2015, and he also worked to form alliances with regional parties to progressively drive Congress out of the region, according to Azad.

When Ghulam Nabi Azad quit the Congress in August 2022 to start his own party, he attributed his defection to Rahul Gandhi’s “mismanagement” of the Himanta Biswa Sarma incident. He also criticised Sonia Gandhi for failing to establish herself in her role as party leader “despite being aware of the dire ramifications that lie ahead.”

Azad claimed in his book that when Rahul Gandhi was informed that Himanta Biswa Sarma had the support of the majority of MLAs and would revolt and leave the party, he simply said, “Let him go.” “Rahul told us bluntly that there would be no change in leadership. We pointed out to him (Rahul) that Himanta had the majority of MLAs and would rebel and quit the party. ‘Let him go,’ Rahul said. The meeting was over,” he wrote.

Himanta Biswa Sarma was an Assam-based strategist for the Congress until he switched to the BJP. In September 2015, he was followed by 10 MLAs who left the party due to disagreements with the state party leadership.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had left the Congress just five years prior, was elected Assam’s chief minister in 2021 after assuring the BJP’s second straight victory in the state.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was part of the mediation efforts with Himanta Biswa Sarma on the directives of Sonia Gandhi, wrote in his autobiography that he was not sure if Rahul said what he did “to assert himself or because he was ignorant that his decision would have far-reaching consequences, not only in the state of Assam but the entire northeast.”

He writes that he apprised Sonia Gandhi of the new “twist in the tale” after the interaction with Rahul Gandhi. “… it is rather unfortunate that she did not assert herself as the party president. Instead, she asked me to request Himanta to not rock the boat,” wrote Azad.

On the other hand, Himanta Biswa Sarma excelled and went on to become the Chief Minister of Assam, the NEDA convenor, and a significant BJP central leadership figure. He attempted to forge agreements with local parties and assisted the BJP in strengthening its position in the entire northeastern area.

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