Pawan Khera calls BJP ‘congress-dominated’, says Assam polls will be tough for Himanta

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on March 22 launched an attack on the BJP over recent political developments in Assam, claiming growing resentment within the ruling party and asserting that the upcoming Assembly elections will be “very difficult” for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Reacting to a series of resignations and defections involving Congress leaders, Khera alleged that the BJP, which once championed the idea of a “Congress-free India,” has itself become “Congress-dominated” by inducting several former Congress members.

“There is a lot of anger within the BJP. They used to talk about a Congress-free India, but today the BJP has become Congress-dominated,” Khera said. He further claimed that even within the party’s ideological ecosystem, there is dissatisfaction over the increasing presence of former Congress leaders.

Amid concerns over internal churn within the Congress, Khera asserted that the party remains united under Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi.

“Everyone is fighting together. Those who had to leave have left. Those who are here are working strongly with Gaurav Gogoi to carry out this election. Gaurav Gogoi is our captain of the ship, so it’s obvious that he is the biggest face,” he said.

Taking strong exception to remarks allegedly suggesting there will be no Muslim face in the Congress, Khera criticised what he described as divisive politics.

“What is this Hindu-Muslim narrative? If a person says there will be no Muslim face in Congress, think about what kind of mentality that reflects. It is far removed from the Constitution,” he said.

Khera also accused the Assam government of corruption and misgovernance, alleging “rampant corruption” and a “rule of hooliganism and smugglers” in the state. He claimed that public resentment against the government is strong at the grassroots level.

Assam is gearing up for a high-stakes electoral battle, with both the ruling BJP and the Congress stepping up their campaigns ahead of the Assembly polls.