Guwahati, Dec 26 (IANS): Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah, who arrived in Guwahati on Friday midnight, would formally launch the ruling saffron party's campaign for next year's Assam assembly polls on Saturday.
Braving the cold weather thousands of people, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP's National Vice-President Baijayant Jay Panda, who is also the Assam in-charge for the saffron party, state party President Ranjit Kumar Dass among other leaders received Shah at the airport.
Over 3,000 artists of various communities greeted Shah after he came out from the Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) airport shortly after Friday midnight. According to Sarma, after attending the series of government and party programmes in Assam, Shah on Sunday would visit Manipur and before leaving Imphal he would lay the foundation stone for the Churachandpur Medical College and meet the civil society leaders.
He said that Shah during his three-day visit to Assam and Manipur would also meet allies of BJP in Assam including Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Gana Shakti and Rabha Jatiya Aikya Manch.
Sarma said that the Union Home Minister during a meeting with Assam Chief Minister would review the law and order situation of the state. The Chief Secretary and Director General of Police and senior officials would attend the meeting. Some Congress leaders are expected to join BJP during the Shah's visit.
About the media report of Congress leader and former Minister Ajanta Neog's joining the BJP, Sarma said: "Till now she has not contacted the BJP. There is no joining programme in Amit Shah's minute to minute itinerary."
Recently she met Assam Chief Minister regarding setting up an institution in her constituency. This has fuelled the speculation that she is joining the BJP. Now that Congress has expelled her, she may consider joining the BJP.
On Saturday, Shah would distribute financial grants to 8,000 Namghars (traditional Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam) under the Assam Darshan Programme, laying of the Foundation Stone for the development of 'Batadrava Than' as Cultural and tourist destinations.
Sarma said that the Union Home Minister would lay the foundation stone of the New Medical College in Guwahati (the second medical college in the city) and 10 Law Colleges to be established across Assam.