Guwahati: In a seismic political declaration, Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, predicts a mass exodus of Hindu leaders from the Assam Congress by 2026. Addressing reporters at the sideline of the Tiwa Cultural Festival in Morigaon district on March 31, CM Sarma attributed this forecast to a wave of defections to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the parliamentary elections. He anticipates a similar trend among Muslim leaders, projecting their departure from Congress by 2032.
Amidst Assam’s political upheaval, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma predicts a seismic shift in party dynamics, anticipating a Hindu exodus from the Congress by 2026. This forecast follows a wave of defections to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of crucial parliamentary elections. Sarma’s assertions signal a transformative period in Assam’s political landscape, with implications for the upcoming polls.
CM Sarma’s proclamation follows a significant defection surge from the Congress to the BJP, with numerous state and district-level leaders crossing party lines in the last five days alone. He outlined plans for the conversion of the Congress state headquarters, Rajiv Bhavan, into a BJP branch office, signalling a seismic shift in Assam’s political landscape.
Additionally, CM Sarma suggested that the current Congress state president, Bhupen Bora, may join the BJP fold by 2025, further indicating the ongoing realignment of political affiliations in the state.
Majuli Election Kickoff
On April 1st, CM Sarma launched his election campaign in the scenic island district of Majuli with a 13-kilometre cycle rally, drawing participation from around 8,000 enthusiastic BJP supporters. Emphasising a commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda, CM Sarma rallied the electorate’s support for the BJP’s vision for Assam.
Jorhat Constituency Battle
Turning attention to the Jorhat parliamentary constituency, CM Sarma expressed confidence in the BJP’s victory, brushing aside attempts to sow discontent. He singled out Congress candidate Gaurav Gogoi, son of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, accusing him of fleeing his previous constituency, Kaliabor (now Kaziranga), due to anticipated defeat. Kaliabor was a constituency where Tarun Gogoi, his brother Deep Gogoi and son Gaurab Gogoi were elected as MP from 1971 continuously. But after the delimitation of the constituencies, substantial numbers of minority voters were shifted to the nearby Nagaon constituency. BJP claims that due to decrease of minority voters, Gaurab Gogoi shifted to Jorhat constituency
