New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) Appreciating the gravity of multi-pronged challenges for the crucial 25 seats from the north east, the BJP has apparently decided not to field Assam Finance Minister and NEDA convenor Himan Biswa Sarma from Tezpur.
Mr Sarma's name was nominated for Tezpur seat even at the cost of provoking anguish from the siting MP R P Sharma, who resigned from primary membership of the BJP.
But after detailed discussions with party's central leaders including BJP chief Amit Shah, general secretary Ram Madhav and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state unit is reportedly against the idea of fielding Himanta Biswa Sarma for Lok Sabha polls.
Assam BJP chief Ranjeet Das now said, “Mr Sarma will remain as the NEDA Convenor and also in-charge of the northeast election campaign".
The general refrain is he will have to travel a lot into other states as well.
The final decision will be taken by the BJP CEC, whose meeting has been deferred following the death of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
In Assam, Tezpur, along with Kaliabor, Jorhat and Dibrugarh will go to the polls on the first phase on April 11.
Meanwhile, R P Sharma, a former RSS leader who has resigned from BJP said, "I am a Swayem Sevak of the RSS since 1976 and RSS is in my blood". This came after some BJP leaders reportedly spoke to him and indicated that he could be again fielded by the party from Tezpur.
However, Ritu Baran Sarmah, vice-chairman of Assam Electronics Development Corporation, is also being considered for Tezpur seat, sources said.
Sources also said if the leadership is keen to get Himanta Biswa Sarma, a trusted man of BJP chief Amit Shah for all permutation and combination in north east, he would be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha where two seats are likely to fall vacant in June this year.
The BJP screening committee during crucial round of discussions on Saturday and Sunday decided to drop four sitting MPs including - Ramen Deka (Mangaldai), Kamakhya Prasad Tasa (Jorhat), Bijoya Chakravarty (Guwahati) and Rajen Gohain (Nagaon).
However, in MoS Railway Mr Gohain's case, it is learnt the party leadership may consider giving the ticket to his wife Rita. But Angoorlata Deka, party MLA representing Batadroba constituency, is also likely to get the ticket.
The BJP won seven seats in 2014 in its 'best show' in parliamentary polls essentially riding on Narendra Modi's popularity. But sources said only two sitting MPs Rameswar Teli from Dibrugarh and Pradan Barua from the Lakhimpur seat are being considered for repeating.
The all important BJP tickets may go to Topon Kumar Gogoi (Jorhat); Kripanath Malla (Karimganj); Rajdeep Roy (Silchar); Haren Sing Bey (Autonomous Council — Diphu); and Dilip Saikia (Mangaldoi).
From Guwahati, former Mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation Queen Ojha is in the forefront if the party decides to drop Bijoya Chakravarty.
The BJP has already announced that Barpeta, Dhubri and Kaliabor seats will be contested by its ally AGP and Kokrajhar seat by the BPF.
UNI DEVN RSA 1630