New Delhi: ‘Pakistan should not have any property in India’ The announcement was made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ahead of the 2026 state assembly elections. This was not just a statement, it was something AssamHis favorite Chief Minister ‘Mama’ insisted on comparison with former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s son and Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi and directly termed him an ‘agent’ of India’s enemy and neighboring Pakistan.Gogoi, on the other hand, dismissed the claims as “mindless and fake” and said that no one in Assam was taking Himanta’s words seriously: “Superflop.”
Why does the feud matter in the 2026 elections?
The political fight between Sarma and Gogoi has intensified dramatically ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, with allegations, personal attacks and old grievances becoming public.What might have appeared as routine election season rhetoric has revived a rivalry rooted in the bitter results of the Congress-era more than a decade ago.What started as a leadership battle within the Congress has turned into one of Assam’s most personal and high-stakes political confrontations, with Sarma and Gogoi now representing opposing camps in a contest that mirrors the unfinished battles of the past in the ‘tea estate’.
original congress rift
The confrontation escalated ahead of the Assam Assembly elections when Sarma alleged in a press conference on 8 February that Gogoi had made a “very secret visit” to Pakistan in December 2013 and was believed to have undergone “some kind of training” during his 10-day stay.According to Sarma, Gogoi arrived in Lahore on December 15, 2013, and his visa was expanded within a day to include Islamabad and Karachi. “Why were they taken from Lahore to Islamabad and Karachi? What did they do for 10 days?” Sarma asked.He further claimed that after returning and later becoming an MP, Gogoi raised questions in the Lok Sabha related to military preparedness, defense hardware, nuclear plants, espionage and the Kashmir conflict. “A first-time MP is asking such confidential questions, how can it not be linked to his visit to Pakistan?” Sarma asked.He said, “If Gogoi is unable to clarify his stay in Pakistan, he will have to be charged with ‘rashtra-droh’ (treason).”The controversy deepened after the Assam Cabinet approved transferring the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report to the Union Home Ministry.Sarma said the investigation has reached beyond the scope of the state and requires investigation by central agencies like the Home Ministry, NIA, IB or CBI.He clarified that Assam Police did not directly interrogate Gogoi, “because he is a sitting MP. We have left it to the Center to show some respect to his position.”
If I arrest Gogoi now, I will be accused of doing politics before the elections. Arresting is a drastic step. I think Gogoi is the most vulnerable politician in India now, because all his activities would have been photographed and recorded in Pakistan during his 10-day stay.
Sarma
He said that unless Gogoi answers questions about his visit, “doubts will remain” and alleged that Congress MPs could be vulnerable to blackmail.Gaurav Gogoi strongly denied the allegations and called them politically motivated.He described the claims as “mindless and fake” and accused the Chief Minister of embarrassing himself.In a post on X, Gogoi wrote,Himanta Biswa Sarma Embarrassed himself on stage in front of local and national media. Even after the 2.5 hour press conference, the journalists sitting in the room remained confused. No one in Assam is taking his words seriously. #SuperFlop.”Gogoi said, “He should explain how his family managed to acquire 12,000 bighas or 4000 acres of prime property across Assam. When we come to power, we will take those lands and distribute them among the poor and landless.”
Sarma’s departure and rise of BJP
The enmity between the two leaders dates back to incidents before the 2016 Assam Assembly elections.Sarma was once a senior minister in the Congress government led by Gaurav Gogoi’s father, late Tarun Gogoi.It was later revealed that Sarma aspired to become the Chief Minister and as Gaurav began playing an active role in the Congress and influencing important decisions in his father’s government, the maternal uncle was reportedly sidelined and tensions rose.The fallout began before the 2016 assembly elections when Sarma left the Congress after the party high command projected Gaurav Gogoi as the face of the Assam Congress leadership, despite Sarma having a central role in managing the party’s successful 2011 campaign, in which the party won 79 of the 126 assembly seats.Sarma eventually joined the BJP in 2015, taking with him several Congress MLAs. This move significantly weakened the Congress in Assam and laid the foundation for the rise of the BJP in the state.Recalling the leadership tussle, Sarma claimed, “Madam (Sonia Gandhi), whom I still refer to as, had asked me to fix the date and I told her that I will take oath the day after the Ambubachi fair at the Kamakhya temple in June (2014).”“The situation changed after Rahul Gandhi called,” he said.
‘Biscuit’ episode
The bitterness resurfaced in October 2017, when Rahul Gandhi posted a picture of his dog Pidi on social media.Sarma, who was a former Congress leader at the time, replied, “Sir, who knows him better than me. Still remember you were busy feeding him biscuits, while we wanted to discuss the pressing issues of Assam.”The issue gained prominence again in 2024 after a video circulated online, which showed Rahul Gandhi attempting to feed a biscuit to a puppy and later giving the same biscuit to a Congress party worker after the dog rejected it. BJP leader Pallavi CT criticized Rahul, saying that earlier also he had shown similar disrespect towards Sarma by giving him biscuits in a plate like a dog.Responding to her claim, Sarma wrote on Twitter, “Pallavi ji, not only Rahul Gandhi but the entire family could not feed me that biscuit. I am proud to be Assamese and Indian. I refused to eat and resigned from Congress.”Sarma’s comment references his previous criticism of Rahul. In a separate post, he had said, ‘Mr Rahul Gandhi, those who like to feed biscuits to dogs in the presence of Assam leaders and then give them the same biscuits, should be the last people to talk about political decency. The mentality of the high command is that Congress is the be all and end all. The people of India know this very well.”
constant personal attacks
The political rift between Sarma and Gogoi goes back several years and reflects the deep divisions that have erupted within the Congress party.Earlier in 2023, Gaurav Gogoi had accused Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma of receiving undue benefits through BJP government schemes. He alleged that his company Pride East Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. received Rs 10 crore under the Centre’s Kisan Sampada Yojana.Sarma denied the allegations, saying, “I would like to clarify that neither my wife nor the company with which she is associated has ever received any financial subsidy from the Government of India.”Rinicki denied the claims and filed a defamation suit against Gogoi.Now the tables have turned.Now, Sarma has hit out at Gogoi’s wife Elizabeth Colburn, alleging that she has professional links with Pakistan-based NGO Lead Pakistan, which is headed by Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.He claimed that Colburn worked with LEAD Pakistan from March 2011 to March 2012 and continued to be paid even after coming to India.“But their salaries continued to be paid by Shaikh,” Sarma alleged, adding that funds were sent from Lead Pakistan to Lead India “bypassing FCRA rules”.“Pakistani agencies cannot donate to any Indian entity as it is an enemy country. Probably, special permission was taken during the UPA era to make the payment to Colburn,” the chief minister said. He also alleged visa violations and claimed that a 45-page confidential report written in 2014 was sent to Pakistan.In another comment, he described the press conference as “the most flopped press conference of the century”, which was worse than “C-grade cinema”.
“It seems they feel that the people of Assam lack intelligence. They will take a decisive call in the coming elections,” Gogoi said.Responding to earlier claims linking his wife to Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, Gogoi said, “If my wife is an ISI agent of Pakistan, then I am a RAW agent of India. I don’t mind if a family against whom there are many cases and many allegations accuses me. The (Assam) Chief Minister is making these allegations only to erase the allegations against him.”He also demanded to make the SIT report public.
Gogoi rejected earlier claims
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on February 9, Gogoi said that the SIT report remained with the Chief Minister for six months from September 2025 because there was no evidence in it.He confirmed that he had gone on a work-related trip to Pakistan with his wife in 2013 and was never questioned about it.The Chief Minister described the matter as a matter of national security and suggested that it needs to be investigated by central agencies in May 2025.“This is the first time I am saying this publicly. We have the evidence and will reveal it by September 10,” Sarma had said in 2025. He had said that his government had documents confirming Gogoi’s travel and links with the ISI.“He is still a British citizen. Even Sonia Gandhi had given up her Italian citizenship. Why didn’t she do the same?” Sarma had asked.He even alleged that Gogoi’s children have given up their Indian citizenship and said this is “morally and legally wrong.”In response, Gogoi dismissed Sarma’s claims as “absurd” and called the chief minister a “troll” acting out of personal vendetta.He has made many baseless comments about me in the last 13 years. The most recent case borders on madness and absurdity,” Gogoi wrote on social media, adding, “If he fails to prove these allegations, he should resign.” With Assam Assembly elections approaching, the Sarma-Gogoi dispute has taken on strategic importance.It is clear that this conflict is no longer limited to policy disagreements. It is a deep personal rivalry shaped by ambition, betrayal, ideological realignment and unfinished political business.As the campaign heats up, both leaders are betting that public perception will swing in their favor. Whether voters consider the controversy a matter of national concern or political mudslinging may determine the outcome of Assam’s next electoral chapter.However, one thing is for sure, the Sarma-Gogoi fight is not over yet and its roots go much deeper than today’s headlines.
