‘Not a lie’: Assam CM renews claim of BJP agents within Congress

Guwahati, Jan 14: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Wednesday, reignited his long-running claim of having “agents” within the Congress, saying he would be “happy” if people worked for him from inside the Opposition party.

Sarma’s remarks came amid a fresh political storm following the resignation of newly inducted Congress member Rejaul Karim Sarkar, who quit the party on January 14 after accusing senior Congress leaders, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia and Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi, of acting as “BJP agents”.

“I will be happy if people work for me, and it is not a lie that people do work on my behalf in Congress,” Sarma said mockingly, while responding to press queries on the sidelines of a seed-capital distribution programme in Karbi Anglong.

The Chief Minister also used the opportunity to target Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, accusing him of failing to act decisively after Sarkar’s controversial remarks.

Referring to Sarkar’s Dhubri–Sivasagar comments, which triggered sharp criticism across political and civil circles, Sarma said Gogoi, as the MP from Jorhat, should have ensured Sarkar’s removal from the party before the situation spiralled.

“After the Dhubri remark, Gaurav Gogoi should have pushed him out of the Congress. He couldn’t do so, and that’s why Karim will now project himself like a hero. That is why we wanted Gogoi to eliminate him from the party. He could not gather the courage,” Sarma added.

The Chief Minister’s claim of having people working for him within the Congress is not new.

On several occasions in the past, Sarma has publicly asserted that he has close sources inside the party who provide him with what he describes as “first-hand information about internal discussions and strategy”.

In July 2025, Sarma had claimed knowledge of deliberations from a closed-door Congress meeting held in Guwahati, alleging that senior leader Rahul Gandhi had remarked that Sarma would eventually be sent to jail.

“’Take it in writing, Himanta Biswa Sarma will definitely be sent to jail’, these were the exact words spoken by the Leader of the Opposition,” the Chief Minister had claimed at the time.

Sarma’s latest comments have added fresh fuel to the political row surrounding Sarkar’s resignation, deepening tensions between the ruling BJP and an already embattled Assam Congress.