Assam: Sarbananda Sonowal gives tongue-in-cheek response to "old BJP" versus "new BJP" debate

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on August 24 gave a tongue-in-cheek response to the ongoing debate of "old BJP" versus "new BJP" in Assam. 

During a press interaction, when Sonowal was quizzed about the brewing "old BJP" versus "new BJP" discourse, his reply was nothing short of a comedic gem. With a smile that could light up a room, he calmly retorted, "May you be well, we are fine." The evasion was so artful that it left reporters amused. 

"I'm good, you're good, we're all good," seemed to be the underlying theme as Sonowal continued to charm with his elusiveness. He shared that he had been trying to make an appearance for days but the timing didn't align until now. 

While the "old BJP" versus "new BJP" saga is causing a stir, BJP leaders are throwing in their two cents. Pijush Hazarika, for one, dismissed the issue as the Congress' concern and suggested they should stick to their own business. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on the other hand, dismissed the entire debate with a wave of his hand.

"There's no such thing as old or new BJP," quipped Sarma with a hint of exasperation. He reminded reporters that both he and Sonowal came from different political backgrounds before joining the saffron brigade. Sarma even dropped a memorable analogy, comparing new BJP entrants to sugar melting into tea, just as Amit Shah had famously remarked.

Sarma labelled the "old and new BJP" concept, as a Congress-sponsored game. He further challenged the notion that leaders like Biren Singh, Pema Khandu, Basavaraj Bommai, and Suvendu Adhikari could rise through the ranks if the party had been preoccupied with the "old or new BJP" conundrum.