Gogoi terms dissident leader Himanta as 'opportunist'

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today described dissident Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has decided to join BJP, as "opportunist" saying he won't be able to cast an influence on the ruling party's prospects in the 2016 assembly polls.
"Sarma is nothing but an opportunist otherwise he would not have left Congress. Originally he was a leader of AASU (All Assam Students Union), then he had joined Congress and now in BJP," Gogoi said here, reacting to his once close confidante's decision to join BJP.
He said there were many leaders, including Sharad Pawar and P A Sangma, who had left the party but their departure had no impact on Congress.

"But Sarma is going to join a communal party. His joining will have no impact on the Congress prospect in next year's assembly elections," he said.
Asked about reports that more than 40 MLAs support Sarma, Gogoi said if that was the picture, why no Congress MLA has announced his or her support to him till now.
On Sarma's statement that Congress would get hardly a dozen seats in the 126-member Assam assembly in next year's polls, Gogoi wondered whether Sarma had left the party fearing a defeat.
The Congress veteran dismissed Sarma's allegation that he was promoting his son Gaurav, an MP, saying if Sarma was afraid of Gaurav, what kind of politician was he.

Sarma had met BJP chief Amit Shah at New Delhi on Sunday where it was decided that he would join the party soon after completing all the necessary formalities in Guwahati.