No anti-incumbency in Assam, says CM Sarma; flags ticket tussles in few seats
Seat-sharing talks intensify as BJP eyes Abhayapuri and signals Bongaigaon seat for ally AGP ahead of polls
CM Sarma during an event in Bongaigaon, on Tuesday. (Photo:@CMOfficeAssam/X)
Guwahati, Feb 10: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday, brushed aside talks of anti-incumbency in Assam ahead of the Assembly elections, asserting that voters had already made up their minds.
“Nobody has any such thoughts about whom to vote for or who will be the Chief Minister. People have already decided whom they will vote for and make victorious,” Sarma said, without directly projecting the BJP’s electoral outcome.
The Chief Minister was speaking to press on the sidelines of an event in Bongaigaon, where he distributed the first instalment under the Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan 2.0 scheme for beneficiaries.
While expressing confidence about the broader political climate, Sarma acknowledged that internal competition over tickets could emerge in a limited number of constituencies.
“There will be some tussle over candidature in a few seats, but not many,” he said.
Referring to post-delimitation Abhayapuri, Sarma said, “There is a possibility of a few aspirants seeking tickets. At present, we are proposing a BJP candidate from Abhayapuri and keeping the Bongaigaon seat for our ally, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP),” he said.
He added that discussions had already been held with senior AGP leader Phani Bhusan Choudhury, though the seat-sharing arrangement was yet to be finalised.
Sarma said seeking a party ticket was a legitimate aspiration but stressed the need for discipline once decisions were taken. “Everyone has the right to seek a ticket. Once the party finalises a candidate, others should accept it,” he said.
However, the Chief Minister sounded a note of caution while speaking about Bilasipara, indicating that internal divisions within the BJP could hurt its chances there.
“Looking at the kind of tussle BJP workers are creating among themselves, I would not like to believe that we will win Bilasipara,” he said.
“It is a difficult seat. If unity is not maintained, we will lose. Those who do not get tickets may try to create trouble. Some leaders there are working towards political suicide. Irrespective of the result, they are divided over ticket distribution. It is Bilasipara’s bad fortune,” Sarma remarked.
He added that the political dynamics in Abhayapuri and Bilasipara are markedly different, underlining how local factors could shape outcomes in specific constituencies despite broader confidence at the state level.