Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today launched a sharp criticism of Congress state president Gaurav Gogoi, calling his announcement of a large-scale membership drive “childish and unrealistic.”
Addressing the media, Sarma ridiculed Gogoi’s recent claim that over 8,000 people joining the Congress, terming it immature and politically hollow. “Tomorrow I can also call 1 lakh people and announce that 1 lakh from Congress have joined BJP. Politics does not happen like this. In a joining program, there must be leadership and a proper process. Congress president Gaurav Gogoi does not understand politics and does all these childish things,” Sarma said, adding that such statements lacked seriousness and credibility.
The Chief Minister’s comments appeared to target the Congress leader’s recent membership campaign announcement, questioning the authenticity and process behind such claims. Sarma said politics is not about “numbers thrown in the air” but about leadership, structure, and mass connect. 
Reacting sharply to Sarma’s remarks, senior Congress leader and former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Borah came to Gaurav Gogoi’s defense, drawing a striking parallel from the Mahabharata. “Kansa thought Shree Krishna was a child, but see what happened in the end,” Borah said, implying that the Chief Minister’s underestimation of Gogoi could cost him dearly in the political arena. Borah further added that Chief Minister Sarma should not mistake Gogoi’s calm demeanour or youthful energy as inexperience. “Gaurav Gogoi has the strength, intellect, and political understanding to take on Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Chief Minister should be prepared to face defeat at his hands,” he said.
The war of words between the two camps adds another chapter to the intensifying political rivalry in Assam, as the Congress attempts to regain ground and the BJP seeks to consolidate its dominance ahead of the upcoming elections. With both leaders trading barbs laced with mythological metaphors, Assam’s political stage seems set for a fierce battle — one that’s beginning to resemble a modern-day ‘Mahabharat.’
