“No Need for Pabitra Margherita to Contest Assembly Polls,” Says Assam CM

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday dismissed speculation that Union Minister Pabitra Margherita would contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the Jorhat constituency against Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of his Jana Ashirbad rally, the Chief Minister said the BJP leadership wants Margherita to continue serving in the Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi rather than return to state politics for the Assembly polls.

“To get a person from Assam as the Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Union Minister of State for Textiles is a matter of luck for the state. Assam does not want to lose this opportunity. Therefore, there is no need for Pabitra Margherita to come back to contest the Assembly elections,” CM Sarma said.

He added that Margherita is performing well in the Union government and should continue working at the national level.

“We want him to remain in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet and work for the people of India and Assam. After discussions with the party leadership, we will also support him in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections,” the Chief Minister stated.

CM Sarma further clarified that the BJP has not accepted any proposal recommending Margherita as the party’s candidate for the Jorhat Assembly constituency. Instead, the party is likely to field a “local candidate from a general family” to contest against Gogoi in the upcoming election.

“There are many capable candidates in the party. A local candidate from a general family will be given the BJP ticket to contest against Gaurav Gogoi,” CM Sarma said, though he refrained from revealing the name of the potential candidate.

Earlier, reacting to reports suggesting he could be a possible BJP candidate from Jorhat, Union Minister Pabitra Margherita said he had no prior knowledge about such discussions.

“I didn’t know about this until I heard it from the media. It is good to know that my name is being discussed among people and the media as a possible candidate. I am overwhelmed to see the love from the people of Jorhat,” Margherita said.

However, he clarified that no such discussion had taken place within the party leadership.

“The fact is there has been no such discussion from the party leadership. Whatever the party decides, I will abide by that. I have no idea how my name came up in this matter, but whenever there is positive speculation or discussion in society, it is motivating for any public representative,” he added.

It may be noted that Pabitra Margherita is originally a resident of Ward No. 11 in the Jorhat constituency.

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