Guwahati: Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that if Rahul Gandhi continues as the president of the Congress, it will surely be helpful for the BJP.
 
Sarma said that all BJP members will wish that Gandhi continues as the Congress president for at least the next 50 years.
 
“For a vibrant democracy, you need an opposition. The BJP believes that in our parliament there should be space for the opposition. So, if there is no Rahul Gandhi then there is a possibility that a vibrant opposition in parliament will emerge. But, if he continues then there is no hope for opposition.”

Biswa also clarified that this is only from the BJP’s point of view and not from India’s point of view. 

Biswa further said, “If we look from the country's viewpoint, we need a vibrant democracy. So, we wish that an opposition party would emerge, which will actually criticise the government, where it needs to be criticised. A constructive opposition is needed within the parliament, but with Rahul Gandhi, you will not see that in the next 50 years.”

Also read: Assam: Father, who was tortured by son, can’t thank minister Himanta Biswa Sarma enough. Here’s why

On the other hand, senior leader of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), former Union minister Birendra Prasad Baishya and outgoing Jorhat BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa on Tuesday had filed their nominations for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Assam.
           
Two of seven Rajya Sabha seats of Assam will be vacated after the six-year tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Santiuse Kujur – both belonging to the Congress – ends on June 14.

The BJP has contested in one seat, while its ally party AGP contested in the other seat.

Birendra Prasad Baishya and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, who won the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat in 2014 were accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sarma, AGP president Atul Bora, Assam state BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Bodoland People’s Front leader and Assam minister Chandan Brahma and other BJP, AGP, BPF MLAs.
 
The Election Commission has announced elections on June 7 to fill the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam.

In the 126-member Assam assembly, Congress has only 25 MLAs compared to the combined 87 MLAs of ruling alliance which is made up of 61 from BJP, 14 from Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and 12 from Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).

The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has 12 MLAs while there is an independent MLA who is lending his support to the ruling alliance.

Even if the Congress and the AIUDF come together with a candidate, they cannot ensure victory as they lack the required number of MLAs.

A candidate will need at least 43 first preference votes to win a Rajya Sabha seat.

The Congress and the AIUDF are not going to field any candidate this time as it does not have the number.