Bhupesh Baghel in Assam as Congress steps up poll preparations

Guwahati: Congress' senior observer, Bhupesh Baghel, who reached Assam to firm up his party's preparations for the state polls and to strike alliances with like-minded parties, said current chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma "will start the end of BJP governments". He accused Sarma of large-scale corruption and "accumulating huge properties".

The former Chhattisgarh CM, who was overseeing Assam affairs during the 2021 assembly polls, will be camping in the state. "We are in talks with like-minded parties for alliances," he said. Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who was scheduled to visit Assam on January 20, cancelled the trip due to other engagements. Addressing media persons on Tuesday, Baghel said Assam has a distinct identity across India. "It is a state known for tea, the one-horned rhino, River Brahmaputra, Bihu dance and the gamusa (scarf). It is known for singers like Bhupen Hazarika, Khagen Mahanta and Zubeen Garg. It is known for Maa Kamakhya temple."

"Unfortunately, the state is now known for its deceitful, disrespectful and corrupt chief ministers. In the 2021 assembly polls, there was discussion on the illegal syndicate. We had named the then chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal as 'syndicate Anand'. While the illegal syndicate is still on, in the last five years, corruption has touched such magnitude that the illegal syndicate appears small. Sarma is demeaning the image of Assam," he said.


Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi said, "Alliances will happen."

Earlier, Gaurav had declared that Congress will contest 100 of the 126 assembly seats.

Gogoi said, "Recently, Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that during his tenure 100% merit-based recruitment process was carried out while during the tenure of Sarbananda Sonowal it was 50%. Sonowal is missing from the campaign posters. BJP in Assam is riddled by factionalism."