This election is about Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Congress vs Tarun Gogoi-led Congress: Gaurav Gogoi tells India Today

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on March 24 accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of running a “family-controlled government” and fostering a climate of fear and intimidation in the state. 

Framing the upcoming polls as a decisive battle for Assam’s democratic ethos, Gogoi alleged that governance under Sarma has strayed far from public accountability and transparency.

Taking a direct swipe at the Chief Minister, Gogoi said the BJP-led government in Assam no longer reflects the democratic principle of being “of the people, for the people, and by the people.” Instead, he claimed, it has turned into a system “of Sarma’s family, for Sarma’s family, and by Sarma’s family,” accusing the leadership of centralising power and prioritising personal interests over public welfare.

The Congress leader further alleged that the current administration is relying on “politics of fear and intimidation” to maintain its hold on power. “People are being arrested for a mere Facebook post. That is not Assam, and that is not the people of Assam,” Gogoi said.

Positioning the election as a fight to “free the people of Assam,” Gogoi said the Congress aims to restore a government driven by public priorities, where decisions on spending and policy are guided by the needs of citizens rather than political interests.

Gogoi questioned the presence of several former Congress leaders, who had served as ministers during the tenure of late Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, within the BJP ranks. He alleged that many of these leaders, once criticised for their performance, have now found space within the BJP under Sarma’s leadership.

“Why are all those former Congress ministers now in Vajpayee Bhawan in Guwahati? Where are the old, loyal BJP leaders? They are nowhere to be seen,” Gogoi remarked, claiming that the BJP’s state headquarters is now “filled with former Congress faces.”

Drawing a political contrast, Gogoi argued that the upcoming election is effectively a contest between “a Congress led by Himanta Biswa Sarma within the BJP” and “a rejuvenated Congress rooted in the ideals of Tarun Gogoi.” He asserted that the BJP has lost its original identity on the ground in Assam.