Editor's Pick: Dr. Sarma steps up

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP's 'face in the north-east' is set to take over as Assam Chief Minister today. In an apparently conciliatory end to the race for the post between him and former CM Sarbananda Sonowal, the latter proposed his name as the Chief Minister at the BJP Legislature Party meeting. Dr. Sarma's elevation is a recognition of the role he has played in BJP's electoral success in Assam since 2016, when the party displaced the Congress in the State. Dr. Sarma, who jumped ship from the Congress in 2015 over differences with the then CM Tarun Gogoi, is credited with planning the BJP's electoral strategy in 2016 as well as this year. Dr. Sarma is also the BJP's face in the north-east, leading its growth in the region through the North-East Democratic Alliance, the coalition of parties in the region across States. In 2016, the BJP had picked Mr. Sonowal as the CM and placed Dr. Sarma as a powerful second, handling the Finance and Health portfolios. Going into the 2021 elections, however, the BJP had kept its options open by not projecting a CM face — an unusual practice for the party. Now, an arrangement seems to have been reached in which Dr. Sarma takes the top post. The Hindu's Political Editor Nistula Hebbar cites two reasons for this elevation — Dr. Sarma's handling of the ant-CAA protests in Assam and his role as Health Minister in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the CSDS-Lok Niti post-poll survey notes that Mr. Sonowal still has a considerable lead in popularity among the electorate, though Dr. Sarma has managed to raise his since 2019. The CSDS-Lok Niti surveys also point to a major Hindu vote consolidation around the NDA alliance. Assam, which has about 35% Muslim population, went through the NRC process and it is also the place where the controversial CAA law could have a considerable fallout. While the NRC and the CAA are on the back-burner now, how they will play out during Dr. Sarma's tenure is what makes this story important. Today's Editorials Lockdown gains: On need to augment health system Outreach and overreach: On judicial intervention during COVID-19 crisis Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. Click here Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Name the world's most trafficked mammal 1. Porpoises 2. Wombats 3. Shrews 4. Pangolins To find out the answer and play the full quiz, click here [logo] Editor's Pick 10 MAY 2021 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( Dr. Sarma steps up [Dr. Sarma steps up] Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP's 'face in the north-east'[is set to take over as Assam Chief Minister]( today. In an apparently conciliatory end to the race for the post between him and[former CM Sarbananda Sonowal]( the latter proposed his name as the Chief Minister at the BJP Legislature Party meeting. [Dr. Sarma's elevation is a recognition of the role he has played]( [BJP's electoral success in Assam]( since 2016, when the party displaced the Congress in the State. Dr. Sarma, who jumped ship from the Congress in 2015 over differences with the then CM Tarun Gogoi, is credited with planning the BJP's electoral strategy in 2016 as well as this year. Dr. Sarma is also the BJP's face in the north-east, leading its growth in the region through the North-East Democratic Alliance, the coalition of parties in the region across States.  In 2016, the BJP had picked Mr. Sonowal as the CM and placed Dr. Sarma as a powerful second, handling the Finance and Health portfolios. Going into the 2021 elections, however, the BJP had kept its options open by not projecting a CM face — an unusual practice for the party. Now, an arrangement seems to have been reached in which Dr. Sarma takes the top post. The Hindu's Political Editor Nistula Hebbar cites two reasons for this elevation — Dr. Sarma's handling of the ant-CAA protests in Assam and his role as Health Minister in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the CSDS-Lok Niti post-poll survey notes that Mr. Sonowal still has a considerable lead in popularity among the electorate, though Dr. Sarma has managed to raise his since 2019. The CSDS-Lok Niti surveys also point to a major Hindu vote consolidation around the NDA alliance. Assam, which has about 35% Muslim population, went through the NRC process and it is also the place where the controversial CAA law could have a considerable fallout. While the NRC and the CAA are on the back-burner now, how they will play out during Dr. Sarma's tenure is what makes this story important.  [underlineimg]  Today's Editorials [Arrow] [Lockdown gains: On need to augment health system]( [Arrow] [Outreach and overreach: On judicial intervention during COVID-19 crisis]( [underlineimg] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. [Click here]( [underlineimg]  Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Name the world's most trafficked mammal 1. Porpoises 2. Wombats 3. Shrews 4. Pangolins  To find out the answer and play the full quiz, [click here]( Today's Best Reads [[News Analysis | Supreme Court has only acted on Centre’s suggestions and in consultation with it on COVID-19 crisis] News Analysis | Supreme Court has only acted on Centre’s suggestions and in consultation with it on COVID-19 crisis]( [[Football, COVID and a political controversy: Why BJP spokesperson’s post irked Kerala’s Man United fans] Football, COVID and a political controversy: Why BJP spokesperson’s post irked Kerala’s Man United fans]( [[Rare sculptures of Rani Rudrama Devi unearthed in Khammam village] Rare sculptures of Rani Rudrama Devi unearthed in Khammam village]( [[Gibbon and his heart-lung machine] Gibbon and his heart-lung machine]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](