GUWAHATI: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Bora has dared Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to step down if Gaurav Gogoi wins the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat while also predicting the defeat of Union Minister and former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Dibrugarh.
Speaking to the media at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati on April 21, Bora said that Gogoi’s win was a certainty as many sections of people, including the tea garden community, had become disillusioned with the BJP.
“I dare Chief Minister to step down if Gogoi wins,” Bora said, adding that Sarma had made it a personal agenda to ensure the Congress candidate’s defeat.
Bora also took jibes at Sarma's dancing on stage during campaigning ever since the first phase of polling on April 19 , alleging that the Chief Minister has lost his mental balance.
Bora claimed that Sarma's focus on dancing at campaign events instead of addressing key issues like unemployment etc was inappropriate for someone holding such a high office.
Asked whether it was wrong to dance, he said it wasn't , but in that case the chief minister could very well join films or Bihu troupes. He said politicians were meant to solve people's problems, not entertain the public.
Bora also predicted a loss for Sonowal in the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat due to dissatisfaction over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
To further buttress his claim, he also cited Prime Minister’s campaign in lower Assam when campaigning was still on for the five upper Assam seats.
He claimed this was because the Prime Minister was advised against going to upper Assam as he would lose face since Sonowal was destined to lose.
The second of the three-phase polling in Assam is on April 26.
