Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday intensified his attack on the ruling BJP, alleging that the party in the state has effectively become “Congress with a different label” due to the large number of former Congress leaders in its ranks.
Taking aim at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi said the BJP in Assam is being led by leaders who built their political careers within the Congress. He argued that the upcoming Assembly elections present voters with a choice between leaders who have shifted allegiance and those who remain committed to Congress ideology.
“The BJP in Assam today resembles the Congress in composition, but without its core principles,” Gogoi said, adding that many leaders who switched sides did so for personal and political gains.
His remarks come amid a spate of defections ahead of the Assembly polls, with several Congress leaders joining the BJP and, in some cases, securing party tickets. The trend has sparked discontent within sections of the BJP’s grassroots cadre, who have expressed dissatisfaction over the accommodation of new entrants.
Gogoi also invoked the legacy of his father and former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, positioning the Congress as the party that continues to uphold its foundational values and long-standing commitment to the people of Assam.
The Congress, meanwhile, is working to strengthen its electoral prospects by forging alliances with regional parties such as Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad, aiming to consolidate opposition votes against the BJP.
With the campaign gaining momentum, the issue of political defections and questions of ideological consistency are emerging as key themes in the run-up to the high-stakes Assam Assembly elections.
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