GUWAHATI: The state Congress has shifted its focus on Majuli, with speculation gaining ground that the former chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, who represents this riverine constituency, is likely to be inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet in the expected expansion on June 30.
In the likely situation of Sonowal being in the Union ministry, a byelection would be imminent in Majuli.
Keeping this in mind, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has formed a panel to immediately take stock of the political situation in Majuli.
In case of Sonowal’s elevation, Congress sources said, the party is trying to get its workers on their toes for a possible election battle soon.
Majuli is the world’s biggest riverine island.
The seven-member panel, formed by APCC president Ripun Bora, is headed by senior Congress leader and AICC secretary Bhupen Bora.
The team has been asked to visit Majuli immediately to interact with workers from the grassroots to the district level.
The team will talk to a cross-section of people and submit its report by July 7 with a future road map about the party’s strategy to be adopted.
Congress sources said that despite facing humiliating defeats against Sonowal in the last two assembly elections, former minister in the Tarun Gogoi cabinet and the senior-most leader of the party in Majuli, Rajib Lochan Pegu, is going to be the likely candidate in case there is a byelection.
Though there have been rumours that Pegu might join the BJP, a Congress insider brushed aside the speculation.
“Pegu is the son of the soil from the Mishing community and a strong contender.
He may have lost against Sonowal but that does not lessen his credibility.
After all, Sonowal was the chief ministerial candidate in the 2016 polls,” Congress sources said.
Interestingly, the state BJP is not officially saying anything about a possible byelection in Majuli.
State BJP chief spokesperson Rupam Goswami said, “The BJP is always ready for an election.” Sources in the saffron party said that though Lakhimpur MP Pradan Baruah seems to be the likely face to replace Sonowal, a lot on the candidature from Majuli will depend on the former chief minister’s choice.
The Majuli assembly segment comes under the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat and Baruah has been quite proactive in the affairs of Majuli, known for its Vaishnavite monasteries established by neo-Vaishnavite saint and scholar Srimanta Sankardeva.
But Baruah may not be Sonowal’s pick, as chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma may have other plans for Baruah.
“Baruah is known to be close to Sarma.
The former CM may have plans to field some of his close aides from Majuli,” the sources said.
Baruah was one of the nine Congress MLAs who joined the BJP just before the 2016 assembly polls, barely within two months of the dissident Congress leader Sarma joining the saffron camp.
BJP sources said they are eagerly waiting for the Union cabinet expansion, which is being expected on June 30.
“We are expecting Sonowal to be a cabinet minister in the Modi government.
In his absence, there is likely to be a high profile leader in the assembly seat, which has been the focus of the BJP as it is the revered seat of Assam’s culture, heritage and identity,” a BJP leader said.