Guwahati, Mar 16: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Sunday accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of running a fascist regime in the state and urged party members to unite against his “dictatorship.”
Speaking at a joining ceremony in Raha, Nagaon district, Borah emphasized the need to strengthen the Congress party to “save Assam from fascism.” He criticized the BJP for failing to deliver on its promises, including the deportation of foreigners, resolving unemployment, mitigating floods, and building express highways along both banks of the Brahmaputra.
“Our people are living like animals, spending three to four months in floodwaters every year. What problem has the BJP solved?” Borah questioned. He further accused the ruling party of serving the interests of a single individual rather than the state’s people.
Borah aimed at the government’s social welfare policies, asking, “Can you run a family on ₹1,250?” He pointed to Karnataka, where the Congress government provides ₹2,500 to women, and reiterated the party’s commitment to implementing a similar scheme in Assam if elected in 2026.
Calling for unity, he likened the upcoming 2026 elections to a football match, urging Congress leaders to work as a team to “not just save the party, but to save Assam and its people.”
In a boost for the party, former Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) leader Utpal Bania officially joined Congress, accompanied by 500 of his supporters. Bania, a well-known social worker and founder of Assamese traditional jewellery brand Doogdoogi, had contested the 2021 Assembly elections from Raha on an AJP ticket.
Welcoming the newcomers, Borah urged senior Congress leaders to embrace them wholeheartedly. “I was once new to the party too. Congress gave me an opportunity, and we must extend the same to those joining us,” he said.
Senior Congress leader and Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi expressed confidence that Bania’s induction would strengthen the party. Party leaders hinted that he could be a potential Congress candidate from Raha in the 2026 elections.
Borah declared that the influx of young leaders into Congress signalled the beginning of a political shift in Assam. “This is just the start. By Bihu, you will see young people rallying under the Congress flag. In 2026, we will uproot the lotus from Dispur,” he asserted.
