CM Sarma slams Congress candidate list as ‘dynasty politics’ after 42 names announced

Guwahati, March 4: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday criticised the Congress after the party released its first list of 42 candidates for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections on Tuesday.

Sarma accused the Congress party of continuing what he described as a tradition of “dynasty politics”.

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) announced the names late Tuesday evening, fielding APCC president Gaurav Gogoi from Jorhat and Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia from Nazira among several prominent leaders.

Reacting to the announcement, Sarma said the Congress’ selection of candidates reflects a pattern of promoting political heirs rather than encouraging new entrants in politics.

“If you look closely at the Congress candidate list, you will notice a clear reflection of dynasty politics. You have the son of Pradyut Bordoloi, the son of Bhumidhar Barman, the son of late Tarun Gogoi, the son of late Hiteswar Saikia, the daughter-in-law of a former Congress leader, and even the son of a sitting MP from Dhubri,” Sarma said.

According to the chief minister, the list appears to be dominated by individuals from political families.

“In many ways, the list resembles a continuation of political lineage. It is largely made up of descendants of established leaders, where political positions appear to pass down through generations,” he remarked.

Drawing a contrast with the BJP’s approach to candidate selection, Sarma said his party prioritises leaders from grassroots backgrounds.

“If you look at the BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate list, you will see a completely different picture. We have given candidature to people like Terash Gowalla. Many people may not even know the names of their parents, because they were never in the public limelight,” Sarma said.

He also cited the example of Assam minister Jogen Mohan, saying that he did not come from a political family but rose through grassroots political work.

“Jogen Mohan’s parents are respected people, but he himself was never involved in politics earlier. He emerged through hard work and dedication,” the chief minister said.

Sarma said the BJP’s ideology is centred on bringing forward individuals from middle-class and economically modest families.

“The objective of the Bharatiya Janata Party is to bring forward ordinary children from ordinary families. This is the fundamental ideological difference between the BJP and the Congress,” he said.

According to Sarma, the BJP’s candidate lists for the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, by-elections and assembly polls largely feature leaders who have risen through grassroots engagement.

“If you examine our lists, whether for Rajya Sabha, by-elections, Lok Sabha or even the upcoming Assembly elections, you will find that, barring one or two exceptions, nearly 99 percent of our candidates come from middle-class, lower middle-class or economically modest families,” he said.

“These are people whom the party has nurtured and brought into public life through organisational work and dedication,” he added.

The chief minister’s remarks mark the latest political exchange between the ruling BJP and the Congress as parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, with candidate announcements and political messaging gaining momentum across the state.