Despite being a Member of Parliament from the Rajya Sabha, former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting for Lok Sabha from Dibrugarh constituency. He spoke to GPlus explaining his move and also what he would prefer to be, Chief Minister or Union minister, among a host of other issues.
• Why are you contesting for MP when you already are one and have two more years to complete the tenure?
- We are all disciplined workers of the BJP. It is the prerogative of the party to decide and provide us avenues to commit to work for the development of the country and welfare of the people. The party has entrusted me with the responsibility to contest from Dibrugarh constituency, and I am happy to offer my candidature from my home constituency and commit to the welfare and development of the people of Dibrugarh, of Assam and of Bharat.
• Which designation do you prefer more, Assam CM or Union minister?
- As I have told you, we are all disciplined workers of the party and our primary concern is the welfare of the people and development of our country. Our core strength is being a worker of the BJP. The opportunity to commit to the cause of nation building and for the welfare of the people is provided by the party. Our commitment to the people and the nation is absolute.
• Abki Baar, 400 Paar - how confident are you about the assertion?
- BJP will comfortably secure 370 seats on its own, and with our NDA allies, we are confident of crossing the 400 seats in this election. Given our report card of developmental work, welfare and benefit of the people, we, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, have the support of the people. For sixty years, people suffered under the inept, corrupt and nepotistic governments of Congress. We provide a government that is committed to the welfare of the people and who keeps the national interest above everything else. This is Modi Ki Guarantee.
Today, people are availing the benefits of the welfare schemes of the government with innovative schemes like Direct Benefit Transfer, Swacha Bharat Mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala and so many others, routing the corruption out of the system among others. This is what good governance can deliver. People have immense faith and belief in Modi ji and we are confident that the good governance shall continue under his leadership.
• In Assam how many seats will BJP win, according to you?
- In Assam, we will comfortably secure at least 12 seats, out of 14 seats where NDA is contesting. With the good work done by the BJP governments since 2014 under Modi ji, the people will give a bigger mandate to give a third consecutive term to Modi ji.
• You were an AASU leader and fought for implementation of all clauses of Assam Accord, but now you are supporting CAA, which changes the cut-off date for granting Indian citizenship. How do you reconcile to this change, and are you facing questions on this during your campaign since your constituency is particularly sensitive to this? If so, how are you explaining/defending CAA?
- The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) poses no threat to any citizen of India, including the indigenous people of the Northeast region. CAA is also an all India act. The IMDT Act was enacted by the Congress applicable only in Assam. To counter this, I fought legally. Ultimately, the honourable Supreme Court found it to be unconstitutional. Despite opposition attempts to create a false narrative surrounding the CAA, people understand that it won't disrupt their way of life. The BJP government has actively worked to protect the interests of 'Bhoomiputras' (sons of the soil) by granting them land rights, - previously denied during decades of Congress misrule. The indigenous people need not worry, as BJP remains committed to secure, protect, and promote our heritage.
• How do you think Assam has changed socio-culturally in the past 10 years? Is there now wider acceptance of the Hindi belt, which once was condescendingly referred to as cow belt?
- We are all Indians living in a country that is bound by a commitment to build a new, strong, Atmanirbhar Bharat while preserving our rich collective heritage as one of the most ancient civilisation of humanity. It is a fact that the spirit of brotherhood among people remains strong, and is getting further bolstered under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, as we join a common journey to make our nation a strong one, an Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.
• What about the past promise of granting ST status to six communities? Will they ever get it?
- The BJP govt - both at the centre and the state - remains committed to secure the rights of the native indigenous people, which includes granting ST status to six communities of the state. While discussions are going on with the right representatives from various stakeholders of this development, the government is aiming at finding a meaningful and widely acceptable solution.
• BJP prides itself for being free of corrupt members, but the party welcomes leaders from other parties who are allegedly corrupt. Is it that the party doesn't mind who is joining if that helps to weaken the other parties?
Corruption is a vice. BJP has acted very strongly against this menace. You may recall how the first BJP-led government in the state under my CM-ship acted against the ‘Dalal Raj’ that was rotting the APSC from within; innovative steps like Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has eliminated the menace of ‘Dalal’ from the society. With regard to corrupt members joining our party, it is imperative that none is above the law. Anyone found guilty in a court of law in cases like corruption, the party will act decisively to strip him or her of any privilege he or she may be enjoying as its member. As a party with a vision, our idea is to propagate the cause of nation building and delivery of good governance, which makes our party stronger.
• Does construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya give any advantage to BJP in Assam?
‘Ram Mandir’ is a commitment by the BJP to the people of India. It is part of the heritage that we all celebrate as Bhartiya. ‘Ram Naam’ is also an integral part of our Axomiya culture and heritage. Building Ram Mandir was a duty of BJP and we have done our duty.
• Assam has been demanding for years that its floods be declared as a national problem, but this has never been done. Why?
Flood is a challenge that must be mitigated with a coordinated approach. The government is committed to address this issue through comprehensive disaster management strategies, including early warning systems, infrastructure development, and community resilience initiatives. We are actively collaborating with state governments and international partners to mitigate the impact of floods and protect our citizens and infrastructure.
• Will Sarbanada Sonowal contest assembly elections in 2026?
As a loyal worker of the BJP party, we are bound by a sense of purpose, and our absolute commitment to the welfare of the people. Towards serving the purpose, I shall remain committed to do whatever the party thinks and decides as necessary to serve the people of this country. Our vision of transforming India into a Viksit Bharat under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji is the most important task at hand and to meet this end, I have firm commitment to work for the welfare and development of our great nation.
