'Don't like this kind of branding': Assam CM Himanta on hoarding displaying his giant pic

After a hoarding dedicated to Assam's first Chief Minister late Gopinath Bardoloi displayed a huge picture of the current Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that he does not endorse this kind of branding. Taking to his official Twitter handle, the Assam CM said that an instruction has been issued not to use his picture from now onwards without any prior approval from his office. 

Assam CM: 'Prior approval from my office required'

The hoarding was put as a tribute to the late Gopinath Bardoloi on his death anniversary. The tweet by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had the photo of hoarding where Assam's first chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi's picture has been embedded in a small format while his picture takes most of the space.

About Himanta Biswa Sarma

Born on 1 February 1969 to Kailash Nath Sarma and Mrinalini Devi, Himanta Biswa Sarma actively participated in student politics at Guwahati's Cotton College - as general secretary (GS) of the Student's Union. While pursuing a law degree from Government Law College in Guwahati, he joined the All Assam Students Union (AASU) in 1980. He soon rose to become the Guwahati unit's general secretary.

Later in the 1990s, he joined the Congress and worked hard before taking the poll plunge in 2001 - contesting from the Jalukbari constituency. Meanwhile, after completing his law degree and a PhD from Gauhati University, Sarma practised law at Gauhati High Court from 1996 to 2001. In his electoral debut, he beat Asom Gana Parishad leader Bhrigu Kumar Phukan and has since then been re-elected four times - beating Congress' Romen Chandra Borthakur in 2021.

During his term in Congress, he held multiple portfolios in Assam's longest-serving CM - Tarun Gogoi's cabinet. These positions include - Minister of State for Agriculture, Planning & Development, Finance, Health, Education, and Assam Accord Implementation from 2002 to 2014. He was also credited with spearheading Congress' spectacular poll victory in 2011 when it won 79 of 126 seats. Later, Sarma fell out with his mentor Tarun Gogoi after his CM ambitions were dashed by Congress High Command, with Gogoi reportedly backing his son Gaurav as the CM face.

Hurt by being snubbed by Congress, Sarma quit the party and joined the BJP. With Gogoi's health deteriorating, he announced in 2014, that he will not be leading Congress in the state in the 2016 elections. Sarma, who had since then been made BJP's North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor, led the BJP to its first victory in the north-eastern state, ushering in Sarbananda Sonawal's maiden term. In 2021, Himanta once again led the BJP to victory, wooing women voters by promising to waive off small loans and not mentioning any implementation of CAA - which had been the main poll plank of the Congress.

(Image: Twitter-@HimantaBiswa)