Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that by the time the 2026 assembly election arrives, only a few Muslim MLAs will remain in the Congress party.
Sarma asserted that Congress MLAs such as Rakibul Hussain, Rekibuddin Ahmed, Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Nurul Huda, and a few more will remain in the party.
During a programme at Gohpur in Bishwanath district, when asked whether Congress leader Rana Goswami, who resigned as its working president recently, is joining the BJP, the CM said he has no information about it. “He is a powerful leader of the Congress and if he joins the BJP, I will welcome it”, Sarma said.
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Sarma’s remark has come after his party leader Pijush Hazarika claimed that ‘all Assam Congress” leaders and Members of Legislative Assembly, barring Rakibul Hussain, Rekibuddin Ahmed, Zakir Hussain Sikdar, and Nurul Huda are in touch with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for a possible switchover.
Echoing the chief minister, the state Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika said, “Except for the names I mentioned, all other Congress leaders and MLAs are in touch with us”.
Further, the Assam Chief Minister exuded confidence that the BJP will win 11 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the upcoming polls.
Assam minister says most state Congress leaders ‘in touch’ with BJP
He said the saffron party will also “try to secure the 12th seat” in the state.
In Assam, the BJP currently has nine MPs, while the Congress has three, and the AIUDF one. There is also an Independent MP.
This week, Assam scrapped an 89-year-old law that allowed marriage involving underage Muslims. Assam, which has the highest percentage of Muslims among Indian states at 34%, has previously said it wants to implement uniform civil laws for marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance, as the state of Uttarakhand did earlier this month.
‘Will not let child marriage take place’: Assam CM on Muslim Marriage Act
Assam repealed the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935, effective from 24 February.
“This act contained provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21… This move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam,” Assam Chief Minister Sarma wrote.
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Published: 28 Feb 2024, 07:38 AM IST