The Right-Hand Man Who May Be Cut Off: Jayanta Malla Baruah's Fragile Future in Assam BJP

For years, Jayanta Malla Baruah (JMB) has been known as the right-hand man of Assam’s powerful Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma (HBS) — loyal, dependable, and handpicked by the RSS as a future face of the party. But in Assam’s ruthless political chessboard, even the most trusted pieces can become expendable.

Recently, JMB’s family found itself embroiled in controversy when his wife’s name surfaced in a subsidised financial scheme. What might have been just another allegation in Assam’s scandal-weary politics instead became a symbol of arrogance and entitlement — so much so that HBS himself was forced to publicly beg journalists for leniency toward his embattled minister.

In the political hub of Nalbari, JMB’s own backyard has turned into a battlefield. Once his power base, Nalbari now hosts more than ten political heavyweights, many of them united not just by ambition but by their singular mission: to bring JMB down. His chief local rival, Ashok Sharma, has struck blows more damaging than the media ever could, weakening JMB at home while his position in the ministry becomes more precarious.

The irony is striking. HBS, who has swatted away countless allegations against himself as though they were routine political dust, seems increasingly uneasy defending JMB’s mounting controversies. Once the heir-apparent, the RSS’s chosen man, JMB is now viewed by many as a liability — the lame horse in HBS’s stable.

Observers say JMB still clings to HBS for survival, but the relationship has become one-sided. HBS, now at the peak of his power, may soon decide that his right hand has become a burden he can no longer carry into battle — especially with elections knocking at the door.

Assam’s political observers are already whispering: in the BJP’s strategy to preserve its image and consolidate its vote, JMB may have to be sacrificed to save the larger game. In the ruthless arithmetic of power, personal loyalty counts — but public perception counts more.

Whether JMB remains HBS’s trusted lieutenant or becomes just another casualty of political expediency remains to be seen. As the saying goes in politics: even the right hand can be cut off if it threatens the survival of the body.