GUWAHATI, Aug 28 - Former Congress Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was inducted into the saffron party today with elaborate fanfare. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh extended a rousing welcome to the former Minister, expressing hope that its strength will multiply now that Sarma has been formally initiated into the party ideology.
At a function held at the Karbi Yuva Sangha field at Hengarabari, BJP leaders welcomed Sarma into the party and asserted that a new chapter has been written in the political sphere of the State.
Addressing the function that was attended by a huge crowd, State BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharya said that the BJP will get an impetus with Sarma�s charismatic appeal amongst the masses.
BJP�s observer for the State, Mahendra Singh, voicing his pleasure over the development, said that this has strengthened the nationalist forces. On the other hand, MP Bijoya Chakraborty said that this development is an indicator of the Congress losing ground and the nationalist forces making inroads into every nook and corner of the State.
Addressing a huge crowd at the party office, Dr Sarma announced that he has not joined the saffron party for gaining some political mileage. He maintained that he always wanted to serve the State.
Sarma said when he was in school he had dreamt of a developed Assam leading the country and that he has always kept this dream alive. �I am waiting for that day when people of Assam will hold their head high and declare with pride that they come from India�s most developed State. Times keep changing and I have no hesitation to declare that in Narendra Modi I have discovered a channel to realise my dream,� said Sarma, mentioning that the BJP ideology reflects the Indian philosophy and that he has faith in this ideology.
He also predicted that the BJP will come to power following the 2016 Assembly election and that Assam will reach great heights under the leadership of the BJP.
Earlier, both BJP and Congress members loyal to Sarma welcomed him at the airport soon after he landed. A huge procession of vehicles accompanied Sarma from the airport as he proceeded towards the venue for his induction ceremony. Supporters in large numbers came out to show their solidarity for Sarma and thronged the roads to get a glimpse of their leader and to welcome him. It took more than five hours for the procession to reach Hengerabari from Borjhar with supporters of Sarma. At the BJP office the atmosphere was euphoric.
As is the norm in the city, traffic was thrown out of gear and commuters had a hard time reaching their destinations.
