"Party Will Decide Who Will Be Assam Chief Minister": BJP's Himanta Sarma

The BJP is en route to a big win in the northeastern state; leads+results at 9 pm show it is winning 78 seats (down eight from 2016) to the Congress-led opposition's 46

The identity of Assam's new Chief Minister - the next major talking point now that the BJP has retained power in the state - will be decided in a day or two, senior leader Himanta Biswa Sarma told NDTV Sunday night. Mr Sarma, tipped by some to replace incumbent Sarbananda Sonowal, played down any such talk, and said the decision would be the result of a "fair, internal election". "Home Minister Amit Shahji has already clarified that the chief ministerial candidate will be picked by the BJP's parliamentary panel in a fair, internal election... that will be decided in a day or two, when they all arrive in Assam," Mr Sarma said. The BJP is en route to a big win in the northeastern state; leads+results at 9 pm show it is winning 78 seats (down eight from 2016) to the Congress-led opposition alliance's 46.