No rift in NDA over seat sharing in Assam, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

way2barak, Dec 29: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday dismissed speculation of discord within the ruling NDA in the state, asserting that the BJP and its ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) remain fully aligned on seat-sharing.

Sarma said coordination between the two partners is smooth and based on mutual understanding, ruling out any internal differences. He also clarified that Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Assam on December 29 does not include any formal discussions on seat-sharing.

The Chief Minister said Shah is scheduled to meet senior AGP leaders, including Keshab Mahanta in Borduwa and Atul Bora at Swahid Smarak, but stressed that the engagements should not be seen as political negotiations.

He added that the Home Minister’s involvement would be sought only if alliance partners fail to reach a consensus internally. “Only in the absence of an understanding would discussions move to the Home Minister’s level,” Sarma said.

On the BJP’s internal process, Sarma said seat-sharing talks would remain limited to a small leadership group. He said only Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia and himself would handle discussions, underlining that the party follows a defined and streamlined decision-making structure.