'Congress Vs Congress': Gaurav Gogoi Takes Veiled Dig At Turncoats, Says No BJP Left In Assam

Last Updated:March 22, 2026, 15:37 IST

The remark follows high-profile exits from Congress just ahead of the Assam Assembly Election, scheduled to be held on April 9. 

Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi took a sharp jibe at the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying there is no BJP left in the state as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma prepares to lead a group of former Congressmen who jumped ships to the party.

The remark follows high-profile exits from Congress just ahead of the Assam Assembly Election, scheduled to be held on April 9.

“What stands before us is a Congress led by Himanta Biswa Sarma; it merely carries the BJP tag. The leaders who did wrong during Tarun Gogoi’s tenure are now in the BJP. This election will be a fight between the Congress led by Tarun Gogoi and the Congress led by Himanta Biswa Sarma," Gaurav Gogoi said while addressing the media while canvassing for Congress candidate Dr Indranil Pegu in Majuli.

Gogoi said CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is now leading a Congress, only under a BJP label.

“There is no BJP in Assam now. What exists is a Congress under Himanta Biswa Sarma with a BJP label. Under his leadership, some former Congress leaders have gathered at Vajpayee Bhawan, striving hard to contest elections for their own and their families’ interests. On the other hand, we represent a Congress inspired by the ideals of Tarun Gogoi," he said, referring to his father, a Congress stalwart and Assam’s longest serving Chief Minister.

The Congress has seen some big-ticket exits ahead of the assembly polls. Last month, former state Congress chief Bhupen Boraj switched to the BJP. And just recently, Lok Sabha MP and former state minister Pradyut Bordoloi jumped ship to the BJP. The turncoats were reportedly at loggerheads with the state leadership under Gaurav Gogoi.

Gogoi, a Lok Sabha MP and a key leader of Congress in Assam, said, “During the Congress government in Assam, certain leaders and ministers whose actions tarnished the image of Tarun Gogoi’s government are now assembled at (the state BJP headquarters) Vajpayee Bhawan, seeking positions as ministers and MLAs. We stand with a Congress that moves forward with Tarun Gogoi’s ideals, where people are seeing new faces emerge".

He expressed confidence the Congress party would emerge victorious in the forthcoming polls. “This time we are focusing on new faces. There is considerable unity among opposition parties in Upper Assam, which makes me optimistic that a Congress-led government will be formed in Assam. The first signs of this change will be seen in Upper and North Assam, where we expect better results," he said.

Assam will undergo assembly elections in a single phase on April 9, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.

News politics 'Congress Vs Congress': Gaurav Gogoi Takes Veiled Dig At Turncoats, Says No BJP Left In Assam

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