BJP's main man in Northeast, Himanta Biswa Sarma, delivers again
Assam Chief Minister and BJP's "Chanakya of the East", Himanta Biswa Sarma, has found the limelight as an elevated stalwart after guiding the party's return to power in the Northeastern states of Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura. He has been the face of the BJP's North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) for the last two years, and he was instrumental in forming the previous coalition governments.
Why does this story matter?
The election results declared on Thursday saw the BJP retain power for a second consecutive term in the three Northeastern states. It was a challenge for the party, which is still trying to find a secure footing in the region, in the absence of a traditionally strong voter base. Sarma's help in the BJP's winning raised his importance in the party and the region.
Sarma brought back NPP for coalition
Sarma reportedly strategized the BJP's poll campaign in all three states. After a hung Assembly in Meghalaya, he led the post-poll talks for a coalition government of the BJP and the National People's Party (NPP), which was incumbent but had a fallout in the run-up to the elections. He ensured that the BJP panders to the Christian majority of the state to retain power.
Sarma held 20 meetings in each state before polls
Sarma, a Congress leader before 2015, reportedly has a good rapport with the NPP, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), and Tipra Motha Party (TMP), among others. Senior BJP leaders said that Sarma routinely held around 20 meetings in each of the three states over the last few months. After those meetings, he used to sit for strategy meetings, which went on till 2 am.
Sarma's anti-drug campaign resonated with people of Nagaland
Sarma's crusade against the drug menace in Assam has reportedly found resonance with the people of Nagaland. He is also said to have identified NDPP's Neiphiu Rio as the candidate to back in the state's previous election. Rio is now set to assume the CM's post for the second consecutive term after the NDPP-BJP alliance secured a convincing victory in Nagaland.
Sarma helped CM Manik Saha replace Biplab Deb in Tripura
He also played a role in Biplab Kumar Deb's appointment as Tripura's CM after BJP's historic win in the previous election. He reportedly identified incumbent CM Manik Saha as Deb's replacement. Before the results were announced, Sarma held talks with the TMP, despite its leader Pradyot Debbarma ruling out an alliance with the BJP over its rejection of the demand for Greater Tipraland.
BJP's star campaigner not confined to the Northeast
Sarma has risen as one of the star campaigners of the BJP, along with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. His push for Uniform Civil Code as a poll promise in Uttarakhand reportedly helped CM Pushkar Singh Dhami in the elections. Notably, Shiv Sena rebels were flown to Sarma's Assam to topple the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
