No plans to field Pabitra Margherita in Assam assembly polls: CM Sarma
Addressing the seat sharing situation in Sivasagar, Sarma said the party has not yet taken a final call & discussions are going on
Guwahati, March 6: With political speculation intensifying ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ruled out the possibility of Union Minister Pabitra Margherita contesting from the Jorhat constituency, asserting that the BJP has no plan to bring him into state politics at present.
Speaking to the press before flagging off the fifth day of the Jana Ashirwad Yatra from Naharkatia on Friday, Sarma said the party wants Margherita to continue in the Union government led by Narendra Modi, where he currently serves as Minister of State for External Affairs.
“Pabitra Margherita is the Indian Union Minister of State for External Affairs. It is a fortunate thing that a person from Assam holds this position and the State does not want to lose this opportunity,” Sarma said.
“There is no need for him to come to the State Legislative Assembly. We want him to remain in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet and enhance the pride and name of Assam,” he added.
The Chief Minister said the party may consider Margherita’s candidature in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, but clarified that no proposal has been taken up to field him in the upcoming Assembly polls.
“When it comes to the assembly elections 2026, the BJP has taken no proposal or provision to field him as a candidate,” Sarma said.
On the likely candidate from Jorhat, Sarma said the party has several strong local contenders.
“We have several good candidates in Jorhat, people from humble families and backgrounds who are popular among the public. We will nominate one candidate from among the local names,” he said.
Addressing the situation in Sivasagar, Sarma said the party has not yet taken a final decision.
“We have not taken a decision regarding Sivasagar yet. The seat is desired by the AGP, and there are also many aspirants from our party. Discussions are ongoing,” he said.
Commenting on the ongoing disagreement within the opposition alliance over seat sharing between the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and Raijor Dal, the Chief Minister said the uncertainty would continue until nominations.
“Until the last moment of nomination and withdrawal, this drama will go on,” Sarma remarked.
He also informed that since Jogen Mohan, the MLA from Mahmora, has been fielded as a candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, the BJP will nominate a local candidate for the Mahmora Assembly constituency in the 2026 polls.