Sonowal first choice as Assam CM: Survey

New Delhi, Jan 18 : BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is the most "suitable" politician whom the voters want to elect again to rule the state after the upcoming Assembly elections, as per the IANS C-Voter Battle for the States survey.

Sonowal, who served as the Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, was elected as the Chief Minister of Assam in 2016.

As per the survey, Sonowal is liked by 30 per cent of the respondents in the 126-member Assembly which will expire on May 31.Sonowal is also the favourite candidate of the Central BJP command which wants him to return as the Chief Minister of Assam with a massive mandate in the upcoming Assembly polls.The survey, which included over 5,000 people covering all the Assembly constituencies, shows that 21.6 per cent citizens back BJPs Himanta Biswa Sarma, the incumbent Finance Minister of Assam and the convenor of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).Sarma, who served as an MLA from the Jalukbari Assembly constituency from 2001 to 2015 on Congress ticket, joined the BJP in 2016.

He has said that he is confident that the BJP and its ally parties will win over 100 seats in the coming Assembly polls in Assam.Besides, Congress Gaurav Gogoi is the CM candidate choice of 18.8 per cent people followed by AIUDF MLA Badruddin Ajmal and Congress Debabrata Saikia, who is the son of former Chief Minister of Assam Hiteswar Saikia.Around 20.4 per cent people in Assam want some other politicians as the Chief Ministerial face for the state.