Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Set to Face Off Against Congress Candidate Gaurav Gogoi in State Elections

Guwahati: With Gaurav Gogoi named as a candidate for Assam Assembly elections, the poll battle in the state for the first time is poised to be between him and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, once a protege of Tarun Gogoi. ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. Experience a more refined e-paper today READ NOW ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Congress on Tuesday named Gaurav for Jorhat Assembly constituency for his maiden Assembly elections. Although Sarma is likely to contest from his Jalukbari constituency in Guwahati--not against Gogoi in Jorhat--all eyes will be on how Gaurav leads the party against Sarma and his team in the Assembly poll battle. Also Read:'Sonia Gandhi wanted me as Assam CM in 2014, Rahul blocked it' Also Read:'Sonia Gandhi wanted me as Assam CM in 2014, Rahul Gandhi blocked it,' claims Himanta Biswa Sarma "Our fight will be against Himanta Biswa Sarma, the corruption of BJP...We will remove the divisive BJP and Sarma and establish a new Bor Axom (greater Assam)," Gaurav told reporters, hours after AICC named him as a candidate. Gaurav's "sudden entry" into politics in 2013-14, led Sarma, then a senior minister in Tarun Gogoi's Cabinet, to quit Congress and join BJP in 2015. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links Stories You May Like Andhra road accident: Benga luru family of five killed Two held for killing man after dispute at eatery in Bengaluru's Basaveshwara... Two Delhi men held for BMTC bus phone thefts Gaurav's entry into Congress had upset Himanta's dream of becoming the successor of his mentor, Tarun Gogoi, as the CM. Sarma led BJP's campaign in the 2016 Assembly elections, in which Gogoi government was unseated and the saffron party formed its first government in Assam with Sarbananda Sonowal as the Chief Minister. Also Read:Those joining BJP became insignificant: Assam Congress chief on Bhupen Borah's plan to switch sides Also Read:Those joining BJP became insignificant: Assam Congress chief on Bhupen Borah's plan to switch sides Several Congress MLAs, who supported Sarma against Tarun Gogoi, also switched to BJP. Gaurav, who was called "a novice and a dynast" by Sarma, was elected to Lok Sabha in 2014 and 2019 from Kaliabor, a citadel for the Gogoi family. BJP and its allies won the elections for the second straight term in 2021, when Sarma replaced Sonowal and became the CM. Months before Sarma became the CM, Tarun Gogoi died in November 2020 due to Covid-related complications. The Lok Sabha elections in 2024 was a big test for Gaurav as it was his first electoral battle in absence of his father and the delimitation exercise forced him to shift to Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency. What came as a surprise for Sarma and his team was Gaurav getting elected to the Lok Sabha for the third term. Gaurav's stature in the Congress also grew and he was made the deputy leader of the party in Lok Sabha for the second time in 2024. In May last year, Congress appointed Gaurav as the president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), replacing Bhupen Kumar Borah. Borah, who was also a trusted aide of Tarun Gogoi, quit and joined BJP last month after 32 years in Congress. Gaurav alleged that Borah used to pass on the party related information to CM Sarma. Sarma Targets Gaurav As Gaurav's clout grew in Congress, Sarma started targeting him claiming his links with Pakistan and even the ISI. Sarma alleged that Gaurav and his British wife Elizabeth had links with Pakistan, an allegation rubbished by Gaurav and the Congress. Sarma has also charged Gaurav and Congress of protecting the 'Miyas', a term derogatorily used to refer to the Bengali-speaking Muslims. Congress, meanwhile, seems to be rewarding those who stood with Gaurav even after Tarun Gogoi's demise. The first list of 42 candidates, released on Tuesday, comprised sons of two sitting Lok Sabha members: Rakibul Hussain and Pradyot Bordoloi, and that of Pawan Singh Ghatowar, a veteran Congress leader and five-time MP. Debabrata Saikia, son of former CM Hiteswar Saikia (now leader of the Opposition in the Assembly) and Ripun Bora, once Himanta's competitor in Tarun Gogoi Cabinet, have also been given tickets. "We now have a strong team led by Gaurav. The party has given tickets to those who strongly committed to our ideology for defeating Himanta and his team," a Congress leader in Assam said. For Gaurav, the Assembly elections in April is an opportunity to avenge his father's defeat in 2016 and bring Congress' glory back to Assam politics. Reacting to the list, CM Sarma on Tuesday night said, "The way Congress has given tickets to sons of their leaders, it shows the party represents dynastic politics only. But most of our candidates are ordinary citizens with simple backgrounds. They are ready for the fight." ADVERTISEMENT Published 04 March 2026, 22:00 IST India News BJP Congress Assam Indian Politics Himanta Biswa Sarma Assembly elections Gaurav Gogoi Follow us on : Follow Us Read More