Himanta Biswa Sarma was earlier with the Congress and switched sides in 2015
Himanta Biswa Sarma is the current finance minister of Assam and BJP's north-east chief strategist who has been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring BJP's victory in the upcoming assembly elections in Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya with the help of allies.
Mr Sarma was earlier with the Congress and switched sides in 2015, allegedly after a rift with the then chief minister Tarun Gogoi. It was a bitter parting with Mr Sarma who accused now Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of preferring to play with his pet rather than grant audience to unhappy partymen from Assam who flew down to Delhi to meet him.
Born in Assam's Jorhat, Himanta Biswa Sharma, 49, entered the poll fray in 2001 from Assam's Jalukbari constituency and got re-elected in 2006 and 2011 as member of the Congress party. During this time, he held important and diverse portfolios - agriculture, planning and development, finance, health and education. Healthcare got a major boost under his leadership with opening of three medical colleges in Jorhat, Barpeta and Tezpur. He also initiated work for five more medical colleges in Diphu, Nagaon, Dhubri, North Lakhimpur and Kokrajhar. He was also lauded for bringing transparency in the appointment of teachers through a Teachers Eligibility Test.
After winning Jalukbari seat thrice on Congress ticket, he registered a fourth win from the same constituency after he joined BJP. Owing to his massive popularity in Assam, he was also appointed as convener of North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
The 48-year-old Assam minister has been credited with the upturn in BJP fortunes in the north-east.