Guwahati, Jan 12: With the Assam Assembly elections approaching, political temperatures in the state are rising as major parties step up attacks to gain electoral ground.
The Congress has revived its sharp political offensive against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, with Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi once again posing the provocative question: “Who is Himanta Biswa Sarma?”
Gogoi’s remark echoes a well-known political refrain popularised by his father, former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who had famously asked “Who is Badruddin?” during an earlier election cycle—a slogan that went on to gain significant traction for the Congress.
By reviving a similar line, the party appears to be banking on a familiar political idiom to mobilise voters ahead of 2026.
Addressing a large gathering in Guwahati during a joining programme under the party’s ‘Jati Bachao, Mati Bachao’ campaign, Gogoi accused the BJP-led government of ruling Assam through fear, intimidation, and corruption. He claimed that public unease over the current style of governance was growing and warned that politics driven by fear would not endure.
“The people of Assam are self-respecting and fearless. When they unite, no individual can behave like a king,” Gogoi said, invoking a phrase frequently used by Tarun Gogoi during his political confrontations with Sarma.
The APCC president asserted that Assam had witnessed peace and communal harmony during his father’s tenure and said such an environment must be restored. He alleged that the BJP’s politics of division and intimidation would ultimately be defeated by people’s unity.
Reacting to the Congress’s remarks, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the criticism as misplaced, describing Himanta Biswa Sarma as the best chief minister Assam has seen. The ruling party highlighted achievements in infrastructure, healthcare, and education under Sarma’s leadership, rejecting any suggestion that he was weak or ineffective.
Responding personally to the “Who is Himanta?” jibe, Sarma said, “Now an Assamese will be asked about their identity? I am a son of my parents and an Assamese who loves Assam. Congress should ask miya leaders like Badruddin Ajmal this instead,” strongly defending his Assamese identity and hitting back at the Congress.
Earlier in the day, the Congress intensified its outreach through the ‘Raijor Podulit Raijor Congress’ campaign, engaging with civil society groups and public representatives to gather inputs for its 2026 election manifesto. Gogoi said public feedback would form the foundation of the party’s policy agenda.
At the joining programme, more than 100 leaders and workers from various political parties and community organisations—including the BJP, AGP, and UPPL—formally joined the Congress.
With the 2026 Assembly elections drawing closer, the revival of the “Who is Himanta?” pitch signals a more aggressive Congress campaign against the ruling BJP, setting the stage for a heated political contest in Assam.
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