Himanta submits resignation from Assam house

Guwahati: Former Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who recently joined BJP, today submitted his resignation from the state assembly to Speaker Pranab Gogoi.

"As I have joined BJP in deference to the democratic process I submitted my resignation from the House to the Speaker today," Sarma, MLA from Jalukbari, told reporters after coming out of the assembly premises.

"I joined BJP on August 28 and waited for 15 days for Congress of which I was a member to write to the Speaker to disqualify me. But as Congress did not, I submitted my resignation.

"I tendered my resignation in the prescribed format and in person as per rule," he said.

The speaker told the media that he would forward Sarma's resignation to Election Commission as per rule.

Asked if he would recommend by-election for the vacant assembly seat, Gogoi said as Bihar elections have been announced and Assam would be going to the hustings in April-May next year it may not be announced.

On Sarma stating he had submitted his resignation from Congress addressed to AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Assam PCC president Anjan Dutta, the speaker said, "That does not go into his record here. Only his resignation letter addressed to me does."

The former three-time Congress MLA, who joined BJP here with much fanfare after a 23-year-long association with Congress, apologised to the voters of Jalukbari for not being able to complete his term and assured that he would like to represent them if given an opportunity to do so again.

After joining BJP, Sarma had said, "People migrate from one party to another in politics. But I have not done it for just mere politics. I have done it for a different ideology and dream ... Time changes, situation changes."