Guwahati, Feb 2: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 2 stepped up his attack on the reported understanding between the Congress and Raijor Dal ahead of the Assembly elections, asserting that the Opposition alliance has no prospects of forming a government in the state. He also announced that a major press conference scheduled for February 8 would unveil what he described as a wider network linked to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of newly constructed school buildings, Sarma said the upcoming press briefing would go beyond earlier references to an alleged “Pakistan link” and would place before the public what he termed the full extent of the connections involved. He claimed that the disclosures would significantly alter the political narrative in Assam.
Rubbishing speculation around the Congress–Raijor Dal arrangement, the Chief Minister remarked that Opposition leaders were free to attempt forming governments elsewhere, but maintained that Assam would not be among them. He made pointed remarks questioning the political future of Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, asserting that such leaders had no realistic pathway to power in the state. Sarma further alleged that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi was reaching out to Akhil Gogoi and Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in an effort to mount a coordinated political response after the February 8 press conference.
According to the Chief Minister, these manoeuvres were driven purely by political compulsion and aimed at blunting the BJP’s position following the anticipated revelations. He suggested that the Opposition’s current efforts reflected anxiety rather than strength.
In a sharp message to Opposition leaders, Sarma said this was the only window available to them to negotiate political arrangements, claiming that their influence would diminish after February 8. He indicated that the developments expected to unfold after that date would fundamentally change the political equation in the state.
Sarma’s remarks have further sharpened the political exchanges in Assam as the election season approaches, with February 8 now being projected as a decisive moment in the escalating confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Opposition.
