Amit Shah to visit Assam on Sat, many opposition leaders may join BJP

Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah would visit Assam on December 26 and during his visit, several leaders of the opposition parties are likely to join the ruling BJP, party sources said here on Tuesday.

BJP leaders said that the visit of Shah is very significant ahead of next year's elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly, likely to be held in April or May.

"During the Home Minister's visit, several leaders of various opposition parties would join the BJP. Shah would discuss important issues related to the elections with the state party leaders, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal," a BJP leader said, refusing to disclose the details of the leaders who are likely to join the ruling party.

Along with Assam, Assembly polls would also be held in other states, including West Bengal and Kerala.

Shah, a former President of BJP, visited Bengal on Saturday and Sunday when dissident Trinamool Congress heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari along with several others joined the BJP.

BJP's National Vice-President, Baijayant Jay Panda, who is the Assam in-charge for the saffron party, visited the state last week and claimed that the party is fully confident of securing "the mission of 100 plus seats" along with its allies.

"The BJP along with its allies would retain power in Assam and would secure at least 100 seats in next year's Assembly elections," Panda told the media in Guwahati.

The results of the recent elections to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and the Tiwa Autonomous Council (TAC) in Assam have boosted the confidence of the BJP.

The BJP swept last week's polls to the 36-member TAC by winning 33 seats while in the elections to the 40-member BTC, BJP formed the council in alliance with two other new allies -- United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) and Gana Suraksha Parishad (GSP).

After the outcome of the BTC polls, the BJP dumped the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and announced to support its new allies UPPL and GSP to take power in the politically significant autonomous body.

The BJP in the December 7 and 10 BTC polls fought against the BPF despite ruling Assam together since 2016 along with the AGP.

In the 40-member BTC polls, BPF became the single largest party by winning 17 seats while the UPPL bagged 12 seats, BJP 9, and the GSP and Congress one seat each.

In a fresh development on Tuesday, the Gauhati High Court ordered Chief Executive Member Pramod Boro-led new BTC to prove its majority in the floor of the council before December 26.

The high court order came following a petition filed by BPF President and former Chief Executive Member of the BTC, Hagrama Mohilary.

Mohilary, whose party had emerged as the single largest party in the just-concluded BTC polls, filed the petition opposing the formation of the council by the UPPL with the BJP and GSP, contending that BPF as the single largest party should have been allowed to form the council first.