Assam NDA seals seat-sharing formula; BJP board nod due in days

Guwahati, March 5: The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced that negotiations over seat sharing among the constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have been completed.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday night, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said discussions were held with key regional partners, including the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), and the Rabha Hasong Joutha Sangram Committee, to finalise the distribution of seats for the upcoming elections.

“We completed our negotiations with the AGP, BPF and the Rabha Hasong Joutha Sangram Committee. As far as the NDA is concerned, our discussions and negotiations regarding seat sharing are now complete,” Sarma said.

However, he clarified that the final announcement will be made only after the proposal receives the approval of the Central Parliamentary Board of the BJP.

“The understanding reached among the alliance partners now has to be placed before our Central Parliamentary Board for approval. Once that process is completed, the formal announcement of the seat-sharing arrangement will be made. It may take around two to four days,” the Chief Minister added.

Sarma’s announcement comes at a politically significant moment, with three suspended Congress MLAs, Kamalkhya De Purkayastha, Basanta Das and Sashikant Das, formally joining the saffron party.

Welcoming the legislators into the party fold, Sarma described the move as a significant boost for the BJP and said it reflected the growing support for the party in the state.

“Today is a big day for the BJP. Three Congress MLAs have joined our party, and their decision reflects the growing popularity of the BJP across Assam,” he said.

“This development also shows the respect and confidence people have in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the work being done by the BJP-led government,” Sarma added.

Purakayastha represents Karimganj (North), while Sashikanta and Basanta are sitting MLAs from the Raha and Mangaldoi (SC) constituencies, respectively.

The two others who joined the BJP are former Congress joint secretary Parsha Bob Kalita and former Trinamool Congress general secretary Kangkan Nath.

The three MLAs, reported to be close to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had openly supported the BJP for the past few years, with Sasikanta Das announcing his support to the ruling party's policies in 2021.