Assam 2026 assembly polls will be 'India vs Britain': Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday escalated political tensions ahead of the 2026 state elections, declaring that the contest will be “between India and Britain,” in a veiled attack on newly appointed state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi and his family.

Sarma's remarks, made during a press conference, followed Gogoi’s appointment as the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president on Tuesday. Without directly naming Gogoi’s wife, Sarma referenced her British citizenship, alleging deeper international links. “In the family, there is one Indian and three foreigners. The fight (for the assembly election) will be between India and Britain. It will be about who is bigger — India or Britain,” Sarma said.

The BJP leader also claimed that Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Colburn, had travelled between India and Pakistan 19 times and repeated allegations of connections with Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI. “A lot more will come out on September 10,” Sarma added, hinting at what he described as forthcoming revelations based on documents held by the state government.

Congress has yet to issue an official response to these allegations. Gogoi, taking charge a day earlier, had launched the party’s campaign with the slogan ‘Juz Hobo’ (there will be a battle), urging Congress workers to gear up for the 2026 elections.

Sarma took the opportunity to contrast his political journey with that of his former colleague. “There is no foreigner at my home. All my type of skinned people are there at my home. So, there is a huge difference between him and me,” he said.

“I reached this position after a lot of struggle. My father was not a CM and I did not have a golden spoon at home,” he added, referring to Gaurav Gogoi's father, the late Tarun Gogoi, who served as Assam Chief Minister.

Beyond personal digs, Sarma painted the upcoming election as a referendum on nationalism and development, claiming, “People also know that supporting Rahul Gandhi means supporting Pakistan. Voting in his name means voting for Pakistan. There is no option other than BJP in case of nationalism, identity and development.”

He went on to list BJP-led initiatives including eviction drives, curbs on child marriage, protection of rhinos, and arms licensing for indigenous communities as evidence of the party’s alignment with Assamese interests. “For Assamese people, BJP is a compulsion. BJP follows Assamese culture and tradition. The Assamese people for the first time got their own government,” he said.

The Chief Minister also raised concerns about alleged foreign interference in the state’s political landscape. According to him, nearly 2,000 Facebook accounts commenting on the upcoming election were created on a specific date, with half traced to Bangladesh and Pakistan. “We have earmarked those and asked the Special Branch to look after those accounts and review accordingly,” he stated.

Sarma alleged that Pakistan’s ISI has a stake in Assam’s elections. “These accounts belong to one community. There is a call centre also in Kolkata for this job,” he said, without offering specific proof. (PTI)