Assam's Political Showdown: A Battle of Congress Legacies

Gaurav Gogoi, President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, claims that BJP in Assam is essentially operating under the guise of Congress led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Gogoi asserts that the upcoming election is a battle between Sarma's BJP-labelled Congress and a Congress inspired by late Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's ideals.

In a recent address, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi charged that the BJP in Assam functions as the Congress, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, adorned with the saffron party's branding.

Campaigning in Majuli, Gogoi stated that the upcoming assembly election represents a contest between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's iteration of Congress and the legacy left by the late former chief minister Tarun Gogoi. After his departure from the Congress in 2015, Sarma, who was at odds with the senior Gogoi, has brought along many converts, including Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi and former state president Bhupen Borah, to the BJP's fold.

Highlighting a focus on 'new faces' and a consolidated opposition front in Upper Assam, Gogoi expressed confidence in a Congress-led government taking charge. This resolve was underscored by allies such as the Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI(M), and others, forming a united coalition for the forthcoming elections, set for April 9.

(With inputs from agencies.)