Assam ex-minister deserts Congress, to join BJP

New DelhiGuwahati In what might affect the ruling Congress in Assam ahead of next years assembly polls former state health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday met BJP president Amit Shah expressed his faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP and said he would be joining the party soonWhile the BJP said the party has become stronger with Sarmas induction the Congress central leadership said it was monitoring the situation in Assam and was in touch with the state unitI along with Assam BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharya met BJP national president Amit Shah We discussed a host of issues including the present political situation floods etc in Assam Sarma told media persons outside Shahs residence in New Delhi on Sunday eveningI expressed my willingness to work under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national president Amit Shah and they have accepted itPerception of people changes with time and the same has happened to me Since 2011 the debacle of the Congress had started in Assam and I conveyed it to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi But nothing happened Now I want to work with a strong leadership Sarma addedSarma claimed he has the support of 52 Congress legislators out of 79Mahendra Singh BJPs national secretary and incharge of Assam confirmed that Sarma has virtually joined the partySarma met our party president and expressed faith in our prime minister and the party He has virtually joined the party In the coming days he will officially join the party in Guwahati Singh told IANS over phone from GuwahatiSarma also posted a note on his Facebook account Following massive calls over the past months from people across Assam hailing from all communities will be formally joining the BJP Bharatiya Janata Party for A Resurgent Assam and Northeast under the vibrant leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra ModijiUrging all of you here to join hands for a Resurgent Assam and Northeast he postedSarma who has been representing the Jalukbari assembly constituency since 2001 was an important leader of the Congress in the state and played a vital role in bringing the party to power in Assam in the last three consecutive electionsSarma had since 2011 been expressing dissent and demanding a change in the state leadership He resigned from the Tarun Gogoi cabinet in 2014Rajen Gohain BJP Lok Sabha member from Nawgong constituency told IANS the party has become stronger with Sarmas inductionA powerful leader from the Congress has joined so the BJP has become stronger and the Congress will become weaker Gohain saidAsked if Sarmas entry into the BJP will have an effect on the assembly elections he said only time will sayOn whether Sarma will be given a BJP ticket from Jalukbari constituency which he represents in the assembly Gohain said He Sarma might get he is doing good work thereOn allegations of Sarmas involvement in the Louis Berger bribery case he said You cant say he is involved there are only allegations the case is pendingGohain said the BJP after long thinking decided that Sarma should join the partyIn Delhi the Congress central leadership said it was monitoring the situation in AssamCongress general secretary CP Joshi who is in charge of Assam said he was in touch with the state party leadershipI am in touch with the Pradesh Congress Committee Joshi told IANS