Assam CM’s official X Handle shows political presser on Bhupen Borah’s switch, Siddharth Majumdar behind it again

Fresh questions have resurfaced over the use of official government social media platforms for partisan political messaging following a recent episode involving Himanta Biswa Sarma and the official Chief Minister’s Office handle on X, formerly Twitter.

The controversy centres on whether a constitutional functionary can promote or amplify overtly political content through an official government account meant to communicate administrative decisions and public service information.

The latest flashpoint followed the Assam Chief Minister’s visit to the residence of former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Borah.

What was initially described as a courtesy call quickly turned into a sharp political exchange, with Sarma launching a blistering attack on the Congress and its leaders, including MP Gaurav Gogoi.

Significantly, during the interaction, Sarma also publicly announced that Bhupen Borah would quit the Congress and join the BJP, a political development that has no direct connection to the functioning of the Assam government.

Critics argue that amplifying such a statement through official government communication channels further blurs the line between governance and partisan politics.

Videos and updates relating to the press interaction were subsequently circulated through the Chief Minister’s official social media ecosystem, drawing criticism from civil society observers who maintain that government communication platforms should remain politically neutral.

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One such video, over 16 minutes long, was uploaded on his X handle on February 17 with a caption stating that the Chief Minister was outlining the Government of Assam’s position on key matters concerning the state and its people.

However, viewers noted that much of the footage was dominated by sustained political attacks on the Congress and its leadership, rather than governance-related announcements.

While detractors allege that the Chief Minister used his official platform to amplify partisan messaging, insiders maintain that Sarma does not personally manage all uploads. Attention has turned to Siddharth Mazumdar, widely reported to be associated with managing the Chief Minister’s social media presence. Although Mazumdar has publicly stated to India Today NE that Sarma runs his own social media handles, political circles continue to speculate about the extent of his involvement in content strategy and dissemination.

This is not the first time Sarma’s social media operations have attracted scrutiny. In 2023, during the release of the Bollywood film Pathaan, the Chief Minister said he did not know who Shah Rukh Khan was. Subsequent posts from his official handles referencing the actor’s earlier films triggered widespread online ridicule over perceived inconsistencies.

More recently, an inflammatory video posted on the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party social media handle intensified the controversy. The video, captioned with phrases such as “Point Blank Shot” and “No Mercy,” sparked nationwide outrage before being deleted. The state unit expelled its Social Media Co-Convenor, Ron Bikash Gaurav, after he was identified as the individual responsible for uploading the content.

Distancing himself from the episode, Sarma said the video did not reflect the party’s official stand and reiterated that his political opposition is directed at what he terms “Bangladeshi infiltrators,” not at Indian or Assamese Muslims. However, some party insiders claim that Ron Bikash Gaurav was made a scapegoat and allege that the strategic direction behind the controversial post may have originated elsewhere.

Mazumdar’s name had previously surfaced in 2022 in connection with an alleged attempt to destabilise the government in Jharkhand led by then Chief Minister Hemant Soren. In July that year, three Congress MLAs were arrested in Kolkata after West Bengal Police recovered Rs 49 lakh from their vehicle amid allegations of bribery and conspiracy aimed at toppling the government. West Bengal CID officials reportedly sought to question Mazumdar in Delhi in connection with the probe, though Assam BJP sources have denied any wrongdoing.

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Political observers note that Mazumdar’s early associations trace back to the period when Sarma himself was a prominent Congress leader before joining the BJP. After a stint with Meta and a brief association with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi ahead of the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, Mazumdar is said to have aligned with the BJP following its electoral victory.

Constitutional experts point out that while there is no explicit statutory prohibition on a chief minister expressing political views on personal social media accounts, the use of official government handles — funded and administered as part of state machinery — raises ethical and administrative concerns. The distinction between personal political communication and official government messaging remains blurred, not only in Assam but across several states.

Whether the current controversy will prompt clearer guidelines governing the use of official digital platforms by elected executives remains to be seen.