Guwahati, May 13: A cryptic exchange on social media between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday sparked fresh political speculation, with both BJP leaders posting suggestive remarks without directly naming their apparent target.
The online exchange began after Sarma shared photographs with Adhikari from his oath-taking ceremony in Guwahati and posted on X: “Bad days for…..(You know who).”
Adhikari later responded with a brief but teasing remark, writing: “No Prizes for Guessing, I guess.”
Although neither leader explicitly identified who or what they were referring to, the posts quickly generated political buzz on social media. Supporters and critics interpreted the exchange as a veiled reference to illegal immigration from Bangladesh — an issue both leaders have repeatedly highlighted in their political campaigns in Assam and West Bengal.
Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday took oath for a second consecutive term as Assam Chief Minister after the BJP-led alliance retained power in the state for a third straight term.
Widely regarded as one of the BJP’s principal strategists in the Northeast, Sarma has consistently focused his political narrative on migration, land encroachment and Assamese identity politics.
During the Assembly election campaign, he had vowed to “break the backbone of infiltrators” and promised intensified eviction and anti-encroachment drives if re-elected. Opposition parties, however, have accused him of promoting divisive identity politics and practising what critics describe as “bulldozer governance”.
Suvendu Adhikari, meanwhile, recently assumed office as West Bengal’s first BJP Chief Minister after the party ended 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule in the state. Similar to Sarma, Adhikari has frequently alleged that illegal infiltration from Bangladesh has altered demographic patterns in border districts and adversely affected local Hindu communities.
One of the first major decisions announced by Adhikari’s Cabinet was to accelerate the transfer of land to the Border Security Force for fencing vulnerable stretches along the India-Bangladesh border. The West Bengal government stated that the move was aimed at curbing infiltration routes and smuggling activities.
The exchange between the two chief ministers soon went viral online, with BJP supporters hailing what they described as a “new eastern axis” within the party, while opposition leaders accused the duo of engaging in dog-whistle politics ahead of future electoral contests.
