Guwahati, April 15: In a dramatic turn of events that exposed internal fault lines in the Assam BJP, State BJP president and Lok Sabha MP Dilip Saikia erupted in anger during the inauguration of the Bahjani Mandal BJP office at Alengidal in Nalbari district on Tuesday. The scene unfolded in full view of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and PHE Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, the local MLA.
The tension reportedly stemmed from a perceived slight: Saikia arrived late to the event, only to discover that the office had already been inaugurated by the Chief Minister in his absence. To add insult to injury, upon arrival, he found the office door locked from the inside—blocking his entry. Saikia, accompanied by BJP national in-charge for Assam Harish Trivedi, was visibly furious.
Shouting “Side him immediately,” Saikia publicly rebuked Mandal BJP president Mintu Tamuli, holding him responsible for the perceived disrespect. The confrontation, captured on video, went viral within hours, igniting debate both within party ranks and on social media.
Reacting sharply to the incident, former MLA and BJP-turned-Congress leader Ashok Sharma criticized the deteriorating discipline within the BJP. “There was a time when the BJP stood for principles and order—now that sense of discipline has clearly eroded,” Sharma said. He pointed out that Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah had already inaugurated the same office on January 31, accusing party leaders of staging a repeat ceremony by simply replacing the name plaque. “This is the same Congress-style theatrics they’ve brought into the BJP,” he added, looking at both Himanta Biswa Sarma and Mallabaruah’s Congress origins.
To support his claims, Sharma presented two separate invitation letters issued by Mandal president Mintu Tamuli for the identical event. “A party with real discipline wouldn’t be holding two inaugurations for the same office,” he stated bluntly.
Reflecting on his own experience, Sharma noted, “I once voiced similar concerns about this group, but no one backed me then. Now, the State BJP president is facing the same indifference.”
While Sharma acknowledged that Saikia’s frustration may have been sparked by being locked out of the office, he also questioned the authenticity of the outburst. “Was it genuine anger or political theatre? Either way, we can expect Saikia to replace Mintu Tamuli with a new Mandal president soon,” he added, suggesting more internal reshuffling is on the horizon.
This incident, marked by public confrontation and visible fractures in leadership, has amplified worries about the growing factionalism and fading cohesion within Assam BJP—troubles that may have deeper political consequences in the days ahead.
