The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday strongly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his reported remarks against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Addressing the media in New Delhi, BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam defended the Assam Chief Minister, saying that Sarma became the Chief Minister through the people’s democratic mandate and that the public has confidence in the BJP’s model of governance.
Islam further alleged that the so-called “Rahul Model” has failed in Congress-ruled states such as Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. He claimed that wherever the BJP is in power, people appreciate its governance, which is in contrast to what he described as the poor performance of the Congress-led governments.
The BJP’s response came amid Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing campaign trail, during which he has been attacking BJP-ruled states, including Assam. Though the exact content of Gandhi’s remarks was not cited by the BJP, the party interpreted his comments as an attack on the leadership and credibility of the Assam Chief Minister.
Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rahul Gandhi have had a longstanding political rivalry. Sarma was once a senior Congress leader before he switched to the BJP in 2015, a move that significantly boosted the BJP’s influence in the northeastern region. Since joining the BJP, Sarma has become a key political figure in Assam and a vocal critic of the Congress, particularly Rahul Gandhi.
The latest exchange reflects the rising political tensions between the BJP and the Congress as both parties gear up for upcoming elections.
