Gaurav Gogoi vs Himanta Biswa Sarma: The new gambit
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 9, 2025)It may have been a coronation waiting to happen, but when it came—on May 26, with a year to go for the 2026 Assam assembly election—it rang out like a call to a duel from the days of feudal chivalry. Gaurav Gogoi, like a prince who had the throne snatched from him, has got his chance for avengement. Elevated as state Congress president by the high command, his formal investiture sets the stage for a most intense political slug fest, for Gogoi will be in the ring against a very combative incumbent CM, Himanta Biswa Sarma of the BJP, the mutineer who felled his father.advertisementIt's a classic set piece, meant to end a frustrating decade of eclipse for the Congress, marked by utter BJP dominance over a state it had made a fresh conquest of only in 2016. Part of it rests on legacy. The late Tarun Gogoi's 15-year stint as CM is often associated with Assam's fitful passage out of its old militancy-hit phase into a measure of stability and prosperity.But the package also offers a 'new, improved' version of his son, Gaurav, reimaged as the Grand Old Party's 'face of revival', 'a charismatic challenger'. What aids this is the rise in Gaurav's own stature since his decisive win in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, and his visibility—and audibility—as the party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha thereafter.
CM Himanta Sarma | Photo: ANI
advertisementELECTORAL MATHThe Congress is also seeking to solve Assam's complex electoral math in its usual way. Three new working presidents represent key demographics: Jakir Hussain Sikdar (Bengali-origin Muslim), Roselina Tirkey ('tea garden' tribal) and Pradip Sarkar (Bengali Hindu). Gaurav is from the Ahom community, historically crucial to electoral success in the state. With him positioned as de facto CM candidate, the party is also sending a powerful message—that they're backing him to the hilt despite Sarma lobbing allegations of a 'Pakistani connection' at Gaurav's British wife Elizabeth Colburn. Sarma's campaign over the past few months has included claims that Elizabeth worked for Pakistani agencies and that Gaurav visited the country on ISI invitation. Gaurav has called it a 'C-grade Bollywood movie plot' and questioned Sarma's 'mental state' while offering a nuanced refutation.The 2024 Lok Sabha election marked a definitive turning point in Gaurav Gogoi's political career and his rivalry with Sarma. Delimitation had eliminated the old Gogoi pocket borough of Kaliabor, forcing him to contest from Jorhat, where his prospects appeared slim. Sarma arrayed the entire state apparatus against him, turning it into a prestige battle. So, when Gogoi won by 144,000-plus votes, it was more than just another LS seat win for the Congress—it shattered Sarma's aura of electoral invincibility.advertisement
Within the state unit, there's a mix of enthusiasm and pragmatic acceptance, with veterans aware that Gogoi is their best bet at the top. But his feet aren't planted too solidly: the Congress had a scare show in the recent panchayat polls, not winning a single Zila Parishad seat in Jorhat, Gogoi's stronghold.It's on this perilous turf that Gogoi stages his 2026 challenge. It's a clash of personalities. Also, a choice between two visions: Sarma's muscular, growth-focused approach vs Gogoi's social justice alternative.Subscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch
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