Former Congress Minister in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma is likely to join BJP soon.
Playing down the imminent exit of rebel Congress leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma from the party, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said, "No individual is bigger than an ideology," and his joining the BJP would not alter the Congress' fortunes.
Earlier on Sunday, Mr Sarma had met BJP president Amit Shah yesterday, and said that he would be joining the party soon.
"I don't think there will be any impact. When Himanta was with us, he extensively campaigned for us in the Lok Sabha elections but we lost,'' Mr Gogoi told NDTV.
Reacting to Mr Sarma's claims that party high command did not make him chief minister despite having the backing of majority of the party legislators, the chief minister said, "If he had 50 people with him, then they would have also gone along with him. Why did they not go? A Congressman who is committed to the Congress ideology doesn't commit to a person or an individual."
Mr Sarma had also accused the 79-year-old chief minister of sidelining him after his son, Gaurav Gogoi, entered politics and became a lawmaker last year. The chief minister called the former state minister as being "power hungry" and denied the charge.
Mr Gogoi said, "Gaurav does not have his stature. He has been a three-term minister, members of the assembly for 15 years and knows Assam. Gaurav is no match to him. Where is the question of getting into competition?"
The 46-year-old former minister who served under Mr Gogoi was once known as his protege, and widely seen as his successor, but Mr Sarma rebelled against the chief minister after the party's poor performance in last year's general elections. The party could win only three out of 14 seats, while the BJP won seven seats in the state.