NEW DELHI, Jan 6 � BJP general secretary in-charge for Assam Mahendra Singh is arriving in Guwahati on Wednesday in what is seen as a fire-fighting mission to quell factionalism in the State unit.
Singh�s visit to Assam has been officially described as a stock-taking exercise of the ongoing membership drive and the ensuing municipal elections in the State. However, sources said there is more to his visit, as the central leadership is not happy with reports of growing factional fights within the State BJP.
Sources said that warring groups are at each other�s throats over a number of key issues. A group owing allegiance to Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal does not see eye-to-eye with the new president Siddharta Bhattacharyya on a number of issues like
inclusion of some Congress leaders in the party and pre-poll alliances.
On the other hand, another group led by Rajen Gohain is sulking for his being ignored for the post of the State president. Gohain was an aspirant for the post of president, but was snubbed by the central leadership.
Till recently, the BJP leaders were also fighting with each other over the possibility of admitting Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma and his supporters into the party. Though the move has died down, the differences still persist, said sources.
Assam is considered a key State where the BJP stands a chance to wrest power from the Congress, and the central leadership is closely monitoring the developments and seems quite anxious to prevent the factionalism from going out of hand.
