BJP will sweep 2026 Assam assembly polls, Gogoi will then fight elections in Pakistan: Himanta

Guwahati: Asserting that the BJP will sweep the assembly polls in Assam next year, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a dig at state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday, stating that after losing, he can contest elections in Pakistan.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Chamata in Nalbari district, Sarma alleged that the Congress was doing politics over the death of singer Zubeen Garg, in an attempt to protect the 'Miyas' who have encroached acres of land across the state.

Asked about Gogoi's statement that the situation in the Northeastern state was different from Bihar, where the BJP-led NDA registered a landslide victory in the recently concluded assembly polls, the CM claimed, "Assam is Assam and we will make a clean sweep in the assembly elections." "He (Gogoi) will hundred per cent lose the polls in Assam, and then he can contest the elections in Pakistan," Sarma added.

The CM has been attacking Gogoi over the last few months, alleging that he and his wife have a connection with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. He had also set up an SIT to probe the links, but is yet to make the findings public.

"The Congress is mainly concerned about 'Miyas', and the people of Assam will not vote for those who support them," he said.

He alleged that the Congress was doing politics over Garg's death so that they can "protect" 'Miyas' and the state government do not evict them from encroached lands.

"When Zubeen was alive, they (Congress) were not concerned about him. The Congress began speaking about him after his death, to save the 'Miyas'," he claimed.

"Have Muslims put up Zubeen's photograph in any mosque? But, Hindus have honoured him at Durga Puja pandals and other festivals, including the just-concluded Ras Mahotsav. People are now realising the truth. There is no point in fighting us on these issues, as we have the moral courage to tell the truth. We do not do politics with emotion but with hard work," Sarma said.

Garg's death in Singapore in September became a turning point in Assam's socio-political landscape, uniting people across communities and faiths in a common demand for justice.

Lakhs of people poured onto the streets to hold those in power accountable, as several high-profile names surfaced in connection with the icon's death.

The opposition has been claiming that the BJP government under Sarma, accused of pursuing divisive politics by specifically targeting ‘Miyas’ -- a pejorative for Bengali-speaking Muslims -- through eviction drives, found itself on the back foot as people began to unite across communities.