Assam Chief Minister Recalls Pivotal 2014 Political Drama
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday revisited the dramatic political moment of 2014 when he came remarkably close to becoming the state's chief minister as Sonia Gandhi's personal choice, only to be stopped short after direct intervention from Rahul Gandhi. This fateful twist ultimately led to his historic exit from the Congress party and subsequent joining of the Bharatiya Janata Party, a move that fundamentally reshaped Assam's entire political landscape for years to come.
Background of Political Dissatisfaction
Sarma shared these revealing insights against the backdrop of former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Borah's recent resignation, which was prompted by deep dissatisfaction with the party's internal affairs and functioning. The Chief Minister noted that he rarely speaks about the specific reasons behind his departure from Congress, expressing concern that people might misinterpret his reflections as lingering unhappiness over the consequential decision.
The seeds of dissidence against then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi were first sown in 2014 with the arrival of his son, Gaurav Gogoi, into Assam's active political scene. Widespread allegations emerged that Gogoi was actively promoting his son's political career, a move that is widely recognized as the primary trigger for the serious rift that developed between Gogoi and Sarma. Gaurav, who currently serves as a Member of Parliament and president of the Assam Congress, became the central focal point of the intense internal feud that ultimately reshaped the party's entire trajectory within the state.
The Breaking Point
"Cabinet ministers were explicitly instructed to attend Gaurav's political meetings. I directly told Tarun Gogoi that I simply could not comply with this directive because I was holding a constitutional post of significant responsibility. Other ministers reluctantly went along with the instruction, and that is precisely when the serious trouble officially started," Sarma, who was serving as finance minister at that critical time, vividly recollected.
When the internal dissidence reached its absolute peak, the Congress high command urgently deputed senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge to Guwahati as a central observer to thoroughly assess the volatile political situation. "Fifty-eight MLAs strongly supported my position, some legislators remained carefully neutral, and only twelve MLAs were not in my favour. However, despite this clear majority support, no justice was ultimately done at that crucial juncture," Sarma recalled with notable clarity.
The Fateful Intervention
Sarma revealed that following this political assessment, Sonia Gandhi, whom he still respectfully prefers to address as 'madam', "called me directly to her personal residence and asked me to choose the specific date for my official swearing-in ceremony. I had respectfully said that I would prefer to take the oath after the conclusion of the sacred Ambubachi Mela at the revered Kamakhya Temple. However, that carefully considered decision was dramatically reversed after Rahul Gandhi, who was visiting the United States at that precise time, made some crucial telephone calls," Sarma told assembled journalists in Guwahati.
Tarun Gogoi consequently continued as Chief Minister, and Sarma finally made the momentous decision to quit the Congress party in 2015, formally joining the BJP later that same transformative year.
Divine Perspective on Political Fate
Reflecting philosophically on the entire episode, Sarma thoughtfully added, "I now believe it was the divine blessings of Maa Kamakhya and Srimanta Sankardeva that I did not become Chief Minister at that particular time. If I had actually become a Congress Chief Minister, history would have remembered me with lasting disgrace, as I would not have been able to work meaningfully for Sanatan Dharma or genuinely serve the Assamese people in the manner I have been privileged to do."
