Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had wanted him to take over as Assam chief minister in 2014, but the move was blocked following intervention by Rahul Gandhi.
Addressing the media, Sarma said that at the time he enjoyed the support of a majority of Congress MLAs in Assam and had even been asked to decide the date for his swearing-in. “Sonia Gandhi had agreed to the proposal and asked me to choose the date. However, the decision was later reversed,” he alleged.
According to Sarma, Rahul Gandhi, who was abroad then, intervened after being informed of the development, leading to a change in the party’s decision. He described the episode as a turning point in his political career, saying it left him deeply disappointed with the Congress leadership.
The claim relates to internal developments within the Indian National Congress during the tenure of then Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi. Sarma was a senior Congress leader at the time and played a key role in the party’s organisation in the state.
Sarma eventually quit the Congress in 2015 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing his former party of sidelining state leadership and ignoring grassroots sentiment. He went on to become a central figure in the BJP’s rise in Assam, leading the party to power in the 2021 Assembly elections and assuming office as chief minister.
The Congress has not immediately responded to Sarma’s latest remarks. The statement, however, has reignited political debate in the state, with the BJP using it to highlight alleged leadership failures within the Congress, while opposition leaders dismiss it as an attempt to rewrite history.
- Log in to post comments
