Union minister Sonowal is new Assam BJP chief

The BJP on Saturday appointed Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal as party’s president in Assam, ahead of next year’s assembly elections in northeastern state.

Making announcement, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the BJP, which has just suffered a major setback in the Bihar polls, and earlier in Delhi, was confident of winning Assam.

Meanwhile, the new appointment for Sonowal –who is Union minister for youth affairs and sports –has fuelled speculation of a cabinet reshuffle, which has long been expected in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet.

The BJP, however, made no official comment on it.

Former Congress heavyweight Himanta Biswa Sarma, who joined the BJP in August, was made convener of the election management committee, which has Sonowal as the chairman. Sonowal –the Lok Sabha member from Assam’s Lakhimpur constituency –replaces Siddarth Bhattacharya, who will now be a national spokesperson of the BJP on issues related to the northeast.