Guwahati: Are supporters of the ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’ contesting the 2026 Assam assembly elections from the opposition side? The question gains urgency amid a brewing controversy in the Central Guwahati constituency over opposition candidate Kunki Chawdhury’s family affiliations—now a flashpoint after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma weighed in, igniting statewide election buzz.
Social media was full of gossip regarding the religious affiliation of the opposition candidate, Kunki Chawdhury, for the last couple of days. The young candidate has been fielded against senior BJP candidate Vijay Gupta in the prestigious Guwahati constituency. On April 2, CM Sarma alleged that the mother of the opposition candidate supported Islamist fanatics like Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, who openly threatened to block the Silliguri Corridor or Chicken Neck to cut Assam and the Northeast from the rest of India.
Opposition candidate Kunki Chawdhury’s mother, Sujata Gurung Chawdhury, had earlier posted several posts supporting the Tukde Tukde Gang members Kalid and Imam and opposed their detention under UAPA. CM Sarma further alleged that opposition candidate Kunki Chaudhury’s mother has on many occasions openly displayed her beef-eating fantasy in her social media handles.
Does it mean that the opposition is fielding a candidate affiliated with the separatist gang who wants to cut Assam from the rest of the country. While the top leader of the opposition, Gaurav Gogoi, who himself faces allegations of a link with the enemy nation Pakistan, and people close to the Pak spy agency ISI, the Assam police SIT investigation found that Gaurav Gogoi’s British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, worked for a Pakistani agency and received a salary from the enemy nation. Gaurav Gogoi accepted that he had visited Rawalpindi, the city where the Pakistan Army and ISI headquarters are situated, on the Pakistan tour. The allegation is yet to be proved by the central investigation agency.
Jitu Baruah, a voter of the Central Guwahati constituency, said, “ Their top leader has a Pakistan connection, and so do their candidates. We are not surprised that the opposition candidate’s mother supports an Islamist who wants to cut Assam from India.” Another voter of the constituency, Chandra Talukdar, opined, “ The opposition has fielded a candidate whose family openly eat beef to represent a constituency over 85 per cent Hindu population. They don’t leave any chance to insult Sanatan and Hindu”.
