Himanta Biswa Sarma: Will North East star campaigner lose sheen?

Lok Sabha election results present a complex picture for Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam chief minister and key architect of BJP’s vision in the North-East. Despite his significant role in BJP’s national campaigns, the party’s and NDA’s performance in the North-East, especially in Manipur, raise questions about his future trajectory.
In his home state of Assam, the party retained the same tally as 2019 but failed to improve its performance.While Sarma wasn’t directly involved in campaigning in the North-East, except Assam, the region’s electoral outcomes now raise questions about his ability to deliver in his own backyard.
BJP’s decision to deploy Sarma outside the region, leaving the regional leadership to manage their own campaigns, can be interpreted as a strategic move to utilise his skills on a national platform, potentially grooming him for a larger role within the party. Conversely, it could also suggest a deliberate distancing from the complexities of the North-East, especially given the sensitive political climate and BJP’s mixed record in the region.
This can be a crucial juncture in Sarma’s political future. While his national profile within BJP has undoubtedly risen, the party’s setbacks, especially in Manipur, might lead to a reassessment of his influence and standing within the party. Whether the central leadership continues to repose the same level of trust in him, and how they choose to utilize his political capital in the future, remains to be seen. Sarma’s political journey started with the Congress party.
However, he lost his first assembly election in 1996. But that did not obstruct his quick rise through the ranks, holding important ministerial portfolios in the Assam government. Recognising the shifting political winds, he made a decisive move to the BJP in 2015, a decision that proved instrumental in the party’s historic victory in Assam the following year. In the run-up to the 2016 Assam assembly elections, Sarma proved his mettle as BJP’s most dependable backroom strategist.
His deft maneuvering facilitated the defection of nine Congress MLAs to BJP, providing a significant boost to the party’s prospects. This strategic move paid dividends, as BJP tasted its first electoral victory in Assam, a state long considered a Congress bastion.
Recognising Sarma’s contributions, then BJP president Amit Shah entrusted him with the pivotal role of convenor of the newly formed North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). This miniature version of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) brought together almost all the regional parties of the North-East under a unified umbrella, solidifying the BJP’s foothold in the region.
Sarma’s strategic prowess continued to bear fruit as BJP secured the defection of 43 Congress MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh, paving way for formation of the party’s government in the state. This remarkable feat was followed by BJP’s first government in Manipur and historic ousting of the formidable Left Front in Tripura, a state where they had held sway for decades. A wave of political change swept across North-East, with Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram also witnessing the formation of NEDA/ NDA governments. However, now there are new twists to this success story.