Even six days after the BJP's clear victory in Assam polls, there is still suspense over who will be the chief minister. The BJP central leadership has now summoned the incumbent CM Sarbananda Sonowal and its most powerful leader in the state Himanta Biswa Sarma to Delhi to discuss the issue.
Both leaders are claimant to the top job with Sarma, the party's troubleshooter in the northeast, reportedly wanting the prize this time. But it will be difficult for the BJP to replace Sonowal who has a clean image and belongs to Assam's indigenous Sonowal-Kachari tribal community. The BJP is also yet to hold a meeting of its parliamentary board, which normally decides key issues like who will be the chief minister of a state.
The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the March-April polls in Assam.