GUWAHATI, March 23 - Sitting Tezpur MP RP Sarmah today said that he would not contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and would instead embark on a mission to reconstitute the �old BJP�.
�I will not contest the coming elections. There is no question of joining any (other) party... From May 23 onwards, taking along all old BJP cadres from across Assam, we will reconstitute the party again with old blood. We will take along all those who were part of the old BJP and had served in the party for more than five or 10 years� A movement will be carried out against those who joined the party in recent times and subsequently took it over by means of bullying,� Sarmah told The Assam Tribune after his return from New Delhi today.
His reaction came after the ruling party announced the candidature of State minister Pallab Lochan Das from the Tezpur constituency. Sarmah said that his aim is �to recreate the BJP of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya�.
Visibly upset over the party�s refusal to renominate him from the Tezpur constituency, Sarmah said that he has been treated in an undignified manner. He added that he had forsaken candidature earlier too, including in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, for the sake of the party.
�I should at least have been kept in the loop when decisions were being taken,� he said.
Sarmah said that many other parties, including the Congress, the NPP and the TMC, had contacted him in recent days and offered nomination to contest the polls.
�I refused. I am an original hardcore BJP and RSS member. I will rebuild the party again with old leaders and party workers in Assam... I have received many calls from my supporters in recent days. I have told them to relax and wait till the results of the elections are out and then we will start reconstructing the BJP with old blood but new enthusiasm,� he said.
Sarmah had submitted his resignation from the BJP last week, but the saffron party is yet to accept it.
