Never claimed BJP would win Jharkhand polls: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: A day after the BJP bit the dust in Jharkhand, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said he had never claimed that the party would win the assembly polls in the eastern state.

Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance stormed to power in Jharkhand for a second consecutive term, winning 56 seats in the 81-member House, despite an all-out blitz by the BJP-led NDA which managed only 24 seats. Sarma was the BJP's co-in-charge for the Jharkhand polls.

The Assam CM stressed the urgency for the JMM-led alliance to perform its constitutional duty of identifying and deporting infiltrators from the eastern state.

Addressing a press conference here, Sarma said, "Whenever you (media) had asked me here about Jharkhand, I had said that it is a difficult state. I never claimed that we would win. It was a tough job for our party to fight there but we did a good job under the given circumstances." Sarma, who had practically camped in Jharkhand to campaign for the party ahead of the assembly elections and claimed that infiltrators were posing a threat to the eastern state, reiterated the need for the government to act against them.

"It is the constitutional duty of the government to act against infiltration. How much they will do won't be right for me to prejudge. As chief minister of Assam, I won't comment on the matter any longer. I said whatever I had to when I was there as the party's co in-charge," the BJP leader said.

"No government should compromise on the matter of infiltration as the end result will be demographic change, which will impact all," he added.

In a late Saturday night Facebook live, Sarma said had raised the issue of infiltration in Jharkhand and urged the BJP's MLA-elects to raise it in the assembly.

"I believe today also that the problem of infiltration will cause a lot of harm to Jharkhand in the coming days. It is your (JMM) government and I appeal to you to push back these infiltrators or at least identify them. It is your constitutional duty," he said.

"I believe that the Jharkhand government will fulfil this responsibility," he added.

Sarma also appealed to the elected BJP candidates to perform their duty as an opposition and raise the issue of infiltration in the assembly.

On the BJP's defeat in Jharkhand, the Assam CM said, "For whatever reason, we could not achieve our goal. That doesn't mean that we should not keep trying. Whenever we are unsuccessful in something, the failed attempt serves as a foundation for future success." Recalling his time in Jharkhand over the last four months, he said, "I spent a lot of time in the state but was unsuccessful in our mission. But, I will always remember your love. I am thankful for all the love and support."