Assam's Political Theatre: A Bitter Feud Takes Center Stage
In the high-stakes arena of Assam's upcoming Assembly elections, two major press conferences have recently unfolded as dramatic political spectacles, highlighting the deeply personal and acrimonious battle between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi. This confrontation, marked by ambition and historical bad blood, is reshaping the electoral landscape, with opposition leaders believing the BJP's aggressive tactics may inadvertently bolster their own position.
The Chief Minister's Allegations and the Congress Counterattack
At the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Himanta Biswa Sarma, flanked by five senior Cabinet ministers, presented findings from a Special Investigation Team. This team was investigating his explosive claim that Gaurav Gogoi is a "Pakistan agent," capping a year-long campaign of intense public scrutiny. The offensive has not spared Gogoi's family, with his wife Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi and their children facing questions about religion and nationality, while personal documents like employment records, passports, and Aadhaar cards were made public.
A day later, at Guwahati’s Rajiv Bhawan, Gaurav Gogoi responded with defiance. Accompanied by Congress MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain, he dismissed the charges, asserted moral superiority by hinting at knowledge about Sarma's children, and invoked the legacy of his father, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Gogoi then launched his own offensive, accusing Sarma of entering politics to enrich his family and alleging widespread land grabs across Assam in his family's name, specifically targeting Sarma's entrepreneur wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.
Roots of the Rivalry: Ambition and Historical Tensions
This showdown has been brewing since Gogoi assumed a larger role in state politics after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The relationship between Sarma and Gogoi is fraught with personal animosity and thwarted ambitions. Himanta Biswa Sarma was once a key confidant of Tarun Gogoi, but their alliance fractured as the former CM began promoting his son, leading Sarma to eventually join the BJP. Over the years, wars of words and name-calling have escalated, with the current conflict representing the most sustained and bitter offensive yet.
Why the Congress May Gain from Personalised Politics
Ironically, this highly personalised politicking has provided the Congress with a clear and distinct "face" in Assam for the first time since Tarun Gogoi's death in 2020. In the 2021 election, both parties contested without a declared chief ministerial candidate, but now, Sarma's framing of the contest as a direct battle with Gogoi is building the latter's public persona. A senior Congress leader noted that while the party may suffer from some allegations, it benefits from Gogoi being positioned as the central figure, enhancing his visibility and leadership image despite internal coordination challenges.
This election serves as Gogoi's first major test in state politics, despite his tenure as an MP since 2014. Appointed to lead the struggling state Congress unit in June 2024, his leadership has been a morale booster for the party, which has faced steady erosion, defections to the BJP, and difficulties in forming alliances. Gogoi's 2024 victory in the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, where he defeated a BJP campaign led by Sarma, marked his significant entry into Assam politics, especially after his previous constituency, Kaliabor, was redrawn in delimitation.
Challenges and Opportunities for the Congress
However, the Congress faces ongoing hurdles: a weakened organizational structure, challenges in countering the BJP's narrative, and Gogoi's perceived metropolitan and reserved demeanor, which some view as a distance from grassroots politics. A young Congress leader acknowledged that while Gogoi's rise has energized the party, time constraints and limited resources may hinder efforts to strengthen its base ahead of the polls.
As Assam gears up for the Assembly elections, this bitter feud between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Gaurav Gogoi is not just a personal clash but a pivotal moment that could define the political future of the state, with both sides leveraging ambition and history in a high-stakes electoral battle.
