Himanta’s dependence on a Congress-bred operator and Modi-troll had derailed his Zubeen Garg strategy

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has long been regarded as a master of political narrative-setting, a leader who knows how to command public attention, neutralise his rivals, and maintain an iron grip over political discourse. Yet for the first time in his tenure, the usually sure-footed Chief Minister found himself uncharacteristically defensive during the initial days of the controversy surrounding the death of iconic Assamese musician Zubeen Garg.

When political opponents and activists launched a relentless social media campaign accusing Sarma of shielding individuals whose alleged role led to Garg’s death in Singapore, the state government’s digital response faltered conspicuously. The Chief Minister's defence and counter-offensive on social media, observers noted, was handled with uncharacteristic clumsiness.

This was not an isolated incident. Over the past four years, Sarma’s social media presence has been marred by some embarrassing missteps. In 2023, during the release of the Bollywood film Pathan, the Chief Minister famously claimed he did not know who Shah Rukh Khan was, a statement that was forgotten by his social media team. His social media team, however, appeared to forget this declaration. In subsequent posts, Sarma’s official handles referenced the actor’s older films, an oversight that invited immediate ridicule, as users were quick to remind him of his professed “ignorance” about one of Indian cinema’s most recognisable faces.

While Sarma has since regained control of the narrative, declaring in the state assembly that Garg’s death was a murder and alleging that there is a prime accused and several other co-conspirators, a question lingers: who was responsible for his social media debacle during those crucial early days?

Also Read: Himanta sent him to jail in April. BJP chief welcomes him to party now

The Man Behind the Handle

Insiders point to one name: Siddharth Mazumdar, the person who reportedly manages the Chief Minister’s social media profile.

Mazumdar’s background makes his selection for this role particularly intriguing. A former employee of Meta, the social media conglomerate, he previously worked closely with Ahmed Patel, the late political secretary to former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and one of the Congress party’s most influential backroom operators.

It was through this Congress connection that Mazumdar first came into contact with Sarma, who was himself a prominent Congress leader during that period and maintained close ties with Patel. Following Patel’s death, Mazumdar joined Meta and subsequently worked briefly with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, primarily during the run-up to the 2021 Assam Assembly elections.

Political circles have long whispered that Mazumdar served as Sarma’s eyes and ears within the Congress camp during this period. When the BJP swept the 2021 polls and Sarma ascended to the chief ministership, Mazumdar made an official switch, joining the new dispensation as the Chief Minister’s social media handler.

A Controversial Digital Past

What adds another layer of intrigue to Mazumdar’s profile are news reports alleging that he operated an anonymous social media account called “Nyay-Sahay” on the platform X (formerly Twitter). This account, according to these reports, regularly posted abusive content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Before adopting anonymity to shield his identity while allegedly running the Nyay-Sahay account, Mazumdar reportedly operated under the handle “mazumdar_sid”.

The revelation raises uncomfortable questions about the vetting processes for individuals entrusted with managing the digital presence of senior BJP leaders—and whether the ruling party's social media operations in Assam have been compromised from within.

Mazumdar’s political journey, however, reveals a pattern of periodic ideological shifts. Before becoming a Congress backroom operative and heaping praise on Rahul Gandhi between 2015 and 2021, he was associated with Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), the non-profit organisation that managed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election campaign in 2014. CAG later evolved into the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the election consultancy headed by strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor.

His portfolio has also expanded considerably since joining Sarma’s camp. Mazumdar currently manages not only the Chief Minister’s social media presence but also the digital handles of a couple of his Cabinet colleagues.

When India Today NE contacted Mazumdar for a response to this story, he disconnected the call after hearing the questions.