Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday criticized the Congress party for attempting to politicize the death of singer Zubeen Garg, stating that this strategy backfired and caused the singer's fans to distance themselves from the party. He further remarked that Congress leader Pawan Khera's remarks about Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, contributed to the "crushing" defeat of Gaurav Gogoi in the Jorhat assembly constituency.
Congress's political tactics criticized
Sarma asserted that no political party should exploit the names of cultural icons like Bhupen Hazarika or Zubeen Garg in election manifestos. He noted that the Congress party lacks visionary leaders and pointed out that they displayed a large photograph of Zubeen Garg at their Manabendra Sarma complex. "They should have kept photographs of former chief ministers Tarun Gogoi, Hiteswar Saikia, and Gopinath Bordoloi, who were actively involved in politics," Sarma added.
"The issue is that Congress sought votes in the name of Zubeen Garg because they lacked public support. It is not that Zubeen's followers will automatically vote for them just because they asked. This was a cheap political tactic that Congress indulged in," Sarma explained.
Impact of Pawan Khera's press conference
Sarma further alleged that Congress leader Pawan Khera's press conference on April 6, where he accused Riniki Bhuyan Sharma of holding multiple passports and possessing assets abroad, was the primary reason for Gaurav Gogoi's severe defeat in his debut assembly election from Jorhat. "Otherwise, Gaurav would not have faced such a humiliating defeat. Usually, people of Assam do not appreciate outsiders making personal attacks on the daughters of Assam. Similarly, people of West Bengal would not have liked it if I had made personal attacks on Mamata Banerjee," Sarma remarked.
Prediction on Congress leaders joining BJP
Regarding senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia's defeat from the Nazira seat, Sarma predicted that Hindu leaders of the Congress party, including Saikia, would join the Bharatiya Janata Party within the next five years.
