Lok Sabha MP Dilip Saikia was elected unopposed as the new Assam Bharatiya Janata Party president on Friday.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the returning officer for the election, handed over the official appointment letter to Saikia.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the BJP is the only party in the country where an ordinary member can rise to the position of party president through dedicated service.
Sarma asserted that in contrast to parties such as the Congress, where senior positions often depend on family ties or blessings, the BJP values hard work and commitment.
Speaking at a programme after Lok Sabha MP Dilip Saikia was elected unopposed as the new state party president, Sarma said, "Today is an auspicious day for us, but not because we are getting a new president. It is auspicious as it has been proved again today that in our party, one doesn’t have to be from a ‘royal family’ to reach the top position. A simple ‘swayamsevak’ can be the president if he works with dedication." "If we look at the Congress or other parties, first it will be analysed whose ‘blessing’ they have or to which ‘family’ they belong before someone can reach the top position," he claimed.
He maintained that in the BJP, there is a constant lookout for ordinary ‘karyakartas’ (workers) who have proven themselves to be ‘extraordinary’ through their work.
"No one even knows the name of Dilip Saikia’s father. We draw inspiration from our fathers and with their blessings, we forge our own paths," the CM added.
He said that the central leadership has ensured that nepotism does not seep into the party and, "guided by a spiritual force", it remains a party of common people.
The CM lauded outgoing president Bhabesh Kalita’s contributions as the state party chief with the BJP winning the Lok Sabha polls, Assembly byelections and municipal elections during his tenure.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and outgoing state party president Bhabesh Kalita were present on the occasion.
Saikia, a BJP national general secretary and a second-term MP from Darrang-Udalguri constituency (formerly Mangaldai), was the sole nominee for the position.
Among the signatories were outgoing state president Kalita, CM Sarma, and deputy speaker of Assam Assembly Numol Momin.
Saikia, aged 51, has held various positions in the BJP and its youth wing and was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019.
Top central leaders such as Harish Dwivedi, Sambit Patra and Sunil Bansal oversaw the election process and held consultations with the state leadership to finalise a consensus candidate for the top post.
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