Assam MLA Mrinal Saikia has publicly called upon Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene and advise his cabinet counterpart, Jayanta Mallabaruah, to exercise restraint in his public statements.
Saikia expressed concerns that Mallabaruah's communication style could potentially harm the party's electoral prospects, shedding light on the internal discord between longstanding BJP members and those who defected from the Congress.
The Lok Sabha elections for 14 seats in Assam were conducted across three phases on April 19, April 26, and May 7, with the vote count scheduled for June 4.
Expressing his concerns, MLA Saikia, representing Khumtai constituency, took to social media platform X to address Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directly, stating, "Respected HCM @himantabisw sir, pl tell @jayanta_malla to keep his mouth shut about party affairs. He should realise by now that his style of talking has already spoiled thousands of @bjp4assam votes in this #election2024."
The statement by MLA Saikia was prompted by remarks made by Mr. Mallabaruah, who defected from the Congress to join the BJP in 2015. Mr. Mallabaruah's comments, critical of certain BJP stalwarts, added fuel to the internal strife within the party.
Addressing the press earlier, Mallabaruah had remarked, "While there are people who have been at the party for the last 50 years, however, they hardly gave time to the party. Therefore, your contribution to the party will determine the amount of dedication and commitment you have for the party."
Echoing MLA Saikia's concerns, former Union Minister of State for Railways and ex-MP of Nagaon, Rajen Gohain, emphasized the detrimental impact of internal discord on the party's electoral prospects.
"Party workers are being neglected and this will hurt the party in this election across the country. In the party, there is resentment," Gohain conveyed to mediapersons, stressing the indispensable role of grassroots workers in electoral success.
Interjecting into the escalating row, Chief Minister Himanta Sarma assured that the party possessed the strength and resolve to address internal dissension.
"On the voting day, speaking against the party and giving certificates as old and new time is unnecessary. Our state party president will forward the comments to the national president, and he will take appropriate action. It will be decided if such a comment from a person who can speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on voting is acceptable. How the party will decide, and I believe our party is so strong to take decisions against any person," Sarma asserted.
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